Senior Spotlight: Immaculate Kamau
Mina Kiefer '26 is a Public Health Sciences major who served as head peer adviser for the department.
Who are some people you feel have contributed to your success at UMass?
I would attribute much of my success at UMass to the SPHHS faculty as a whole. I am eternally grateful for all of the different faculty that I have worked with. Especially my academic advisors: Brigid Williams, Jesse Hunsicker, and Monica Roche. All three have helped support me as I navigated the Public Health Major and made it my own. I am also extremely grateful to Dr. Sibeko from the Nutrition department for allowing me to explore research under her guidance.
What is your favorite UMass memory?
My favorite memory at UMass will always be my first day moving onto campus. I feel like that rush of being in a new space filled with so many unknowns was such an exciting feeling. This is also my favorite memory to look back on and reflect on how much I have grown and changed within four short years.
What surprised you most about your major?
One thing that surprised me the most about the Public Health major was how much you could truly make the major your own. I had joined the major not knowing much about the subject, but it has been amazing how the flexibility of the major allowed me to explore different areas that I was interested in, like Women's Health, Pre-health, and research. I was also surprised at how much the different topics discussed in class could be applied to real life.
What’s next after UMass?
After graduating, I will be working as a Clinical Research Coordinator I at the Mass General Brigham Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research (CHOIR), working under Dr. Evan Plys and Dr. Ana-Marie. I'm excited to begin this role, as it focuses on different interventions for the caregiving population and
What made your UMass experience special or unique?
I feel like joining the Public Health Peer Advising team as a peer advisor, and, later, as a head peer advisor positively made my UMass experience unique. The experience has allowed me to connect with other Public Health students while also helping my fellow peer advisors. The experience has also allowed me to get to know different faculty in the major and made connections there as well. Overall, the experience has helped confirm that the Public Health major was definitely the choice for me!