The DPHS Resiliency Scholarship Program was originally launched in January 2021 to increase access to public health education to students of all backgrounds. The resiliency scholarship offers an opportunity to recognize the strength and perseverance of individuals that have faced significant life challenges and overcome them. Candidates applying to this scholarship need to effectively convey their interest in the power of personal resilience and demonstrate how their unique life circumstances have informed their educational and professional goals.

Candidates enrolled in the full-time, 45-credit Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degrees should apply to the scholarship upon admission to the graduate programs. General criteria that will be evaluated in consideration of the resiliency scholarship include economic, educational, and medical barriers. The application process for the scholarship program outlines particular indicators of resilience, including but not limited to, first-generation college student, family income level, state and/or federal government assistance, any paid employment before the age of 18, and contribution to the family. Other criteria include any factors that are mentioned in the personal essay.

Diana Hernández Payano, M.S.P.H. Candidate

“The selection of our first awardee for the inaugural DPHS Resiliency Scholarship was a difficult one as we had many compelling and worthy applicants.  Diana’s life story and her ability to transform challenges and roadblocks into her vision for pursing graduate education to ultimately serve the needs of her community was an inspiration for the entire Selection Committee,” said David J. Lee, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences.

Payano is originally from the Dominican Republic and graduated from Western Michigan University (WMU) last April 2020 as an honor student from the Lee Honors College with a dual bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology. Hernández Payano completed an honors thesis which focused on “The Intersection of Culture and Medicine: Perspectives of Dominican Health Care Providers Towards Pregnant Haitian Women.” She received the Carl and Winifred Lee Endowed Research Travel Scholarship to complete the research study in the Dominican Republic. Diana’s honor thesis, as she explains, was one of the most important steps as an undergrad that allowed her to achieve her next academic and professional goals, including completing her MS in PH at University of Miami.

She is particularly interested in social epidemiology and population health and intends to pursue a career as a public health researcher. “For me, public health is the field of study of hope, of hope for the health and well-being of the population, of the world. Dr. Paul Farmer, "a man who wanted to cure the world", during his public health practices understood that "beyond mountains there are mountains"; meaning that when we overcome one difficult situation, another hard moment presents itself, and so we go on, and face it and try to overcome it as well. This is what resiliency and becoming a resilient public health leader is about,” said Hernández Payano.

“As public health leaders, we have dedicated our professional and academic lives to the concept that each individual is entitled to an equal opportunity at prevailing in the face of challenges, conquering adversity, and the ability to create a better world for themselves and also for society as a whole,” said Margie Jimenez, M.A., C.R.A., assistant chair in the Department of Public Health Sciences. “The Resiliency Scholarship will provide an opportunity to recognize the strength and perseverance of individuals who have come out stronger despite facing such challenges.”

Addressing current health disparities is a foundational core value in the public health field. The launch of the DPHS Resiliency Scholarship Program reflects the commitment on behalf of the Department of Public Health Sciences to foster innovative thinking in public health research and practice and promote health equity. Moreover, the scholarship program will help prepare future public health leaders to address these challenges and create a healthier, safer, and fairer world for everyone.

The tuition scholarship is valued at approximately $99,585, which is based on $2,213/per graduate credit. The value of the award will adjust in the event of any potential tuition increases.

Applicants must submit the SOPHAS application for general admission into the MPH and MSPH degree programs by the scholarship deadline, which includes official transcripts, a personal statement, a CV or resume, and three letters of recommendations. Once a student has accepted an offer of admission, the student will be sent the Resiliency Scholarship Application via email. Students must complete a 1,000-word essay that describes the substantial challenge or challenges that they faced and how they overcame the barriers. Students should also describe the resilient tools and practices that they developed and how their personal experience will inform the development of public health policies and interventions that will improve population health. Lastly, the Scholarship Committee will interview finalists via Zoom to evaluate overall motivation and fit for the scholarship program.

“A sizable number of candidates that apply to the MPH or the MSPH programs have remarkable personal stories of survival, they embody perseverance and personal flexibility, and exemplify the endurance and passion for fighting the challenges we face in the practice of public health. The vision behind this scholarship is to honor these individuals,” said Viviana Horigian, M.D., M.H.A., professor and director of public health education in the Department of Public Health Sciences.

“Being awarded as the first Resiliency Scholarship recipient for this Fall 2021 feels like my winning-prize for all the hard work, determination, and perseverance that I have put into all I have done and faced while building my academic and professional career since a young age. As a girl coming from the rural valley of the Dominican Republic, with very limited resources to pursue higher education abroad, this scholarship has been my opportunity to attend one of America's top private research universities and pursue one of the most prestigious master programs in Public Health,” explained Hernández Payano. “The resiliency scholarship has given me the great chance to continue developing myself into a public health leader and advocate for those who need it the most, mostly during this present health crisis. It is, the resiliency scholarship, my daily reminder that nothing is impossible when you turn your limitations into opportunities. I have seen another dream come true.”

In the future, Hernández Payano would like to go back home to her home country, the Dominican Republic, to develop and launch the first research institute for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Diana believes that throughout social research, many social and public health problems can be solved. Thus, by accomplishing this goal Diana aims to help improve reproductive health services and implement intervention programs and health policies to provide better access to sexual and reproductive health education for young women in the Dominican Republic to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and provide adequate health services to HIV/AIDS patients.

During her spare time, Hernández Payano enjoys outdoor activities, including surfing and paddle boarding. She looks forward to developing her skillset through the M.S.P.H. program and contributing towards addressing HIV and sexually transmitted diseases throughout her public health career both in the community and the world.

Written by Veronica Bustabad

Published on November 30, 2021