Kerri Gianesi
This degree has changed the way I view health disparities in Australia.
I grew up in Sydney’s Inner West, near Marrickville. I live with my two parents, younger brother and sister, and my three pets: Koda, a black male cat; Xena, a female Siamese cat; and Abby, a female Border Collie. I love spending time with my grandparents, as they connect me to my Greek and Italian heritage with food and language.
Most of my time is spent out in nature, at the beach, doing walks through bush and national parks, or going out with my friends or boyfriend. I love trying and eating good food, and it’s a big part of who I am!
I studied Medical Science at UTS for one year before starting this degree. Medical Science was fun, getting to be in the labs and experimenting, but I really took an interest in the disease side of things and realised that I wanted to pursue a career in health, rather than medicine. I found Health Science (now Public Health) and wanted to stay at UTS – so here I am!
I chose the Global Health major, as it is what I am passionate about. I have always wanted to work and live overseas in my 20s, and this degree gives me the opportunity to learn about different country’s health needs and how I can become a part of the solution, whilst also fulfilling my dream to live and work overseas for a few years!
I chose UTS because I heard that the culture here was fun and young, which is what I wanted to be a part of. I don’t really like the corporate feel of other unis, but also wanted to take my studies seriously. UTS was the perfect balance!
Getting to be a part of a small project for UTS Health social media was the highlight of my experience at UTS. It’s so good to have students being the face of the university in social media in such a fun way. Also, having classes on campus is fun too. The teachers are very engaging, and our cohort is on the smaller side, so we all mostly know each other in class!
This degree has changed the way I view health disparities in Australia. I grew up not knowing that there is such a large disparity in our own backyard and this degree has made me realise there is a lot of work to be done here as well as overseas.
When I graduate, I want to find a job in the public health sector, either for an independent company or government organisation. I would like to do some behind-the-scenes project management work and also go into the field to help out vulnerable groups and make sure their voices are heard within projects. I would love to work with remote Indigenous communities too. Overseas work is something that I want to work towards, I would love to work for a United Nations organisation such as the WHO someday.
If you’re thinking about studying Health Science (now Public Health), this degree gives you so many broad insights into the different types of career paths you can take in public health. Because this degree is so broad, you can change your mind about which type of public health work you want to do, you aren’t restricted to just one job description, which I think is amazing.
Public health is a growing and stable sector also, we are always going to need public health officials whether in a pandemic or not!
UTS is a great uni with amazing opportunities to make good friends and career path connections. They give so many opportunities for you to grow in your degree and as a person!
