Anupama Hettiarachchi

MPH in Health Sciences

Balancing being a full-time MPH student with full-time work, Anupama Hettiarachchi showcases that the path to making a difference doesn’t need to follow a straight line.

Anupama’s interest in public health began in 2015, as a volunteer in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Emboldened by the disparities in health and equity she witnessed and personal stories shared by the Downtown Eastside residents she met, she made the decision to pivot from Biomedical Physiology to Health Sciences during the fourth year of her bachelor’s degree. During her eight years of undergraduate studies, she completed a major in Health Sciences – along with minors in Biological Sciences, Gerontology, and a Dialogue Minor from FCAT – and uses the skills she learned from each aspect of her degree in her career every day.

Despite having not taken the traditional route through undergraduate studies, Anupama found that it did not limit the opportunities available to her. From being an overdose outreach volunteer, to a research assistant at BC Children’s Hospital, to a program assistant at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services – alongside participating in SFU’s Semester in Dialogue and Civic Innovation Change Lab – Anupama explored her passion for public health equity and projects through numerous routes. After graduation, while working at the Provincial Health Services Authority, Anupama – a passionate lifelong learner – realized she wanted to earn more skills that would allow her to positively impact the health of populations.

“We talked about structural change being the key to addressing public health issues all the time during my Health Sciences degree,” she explains. “I wanted to be the one actually making those changes!”

This desire for change led Anupama to the Master of Public Health program, which she balances along with her role as a Community Network Manager for the Vancouver Division of Family Practice. She advises prospective students to value their individual experiences, and keep their goals close to them.

“Having a perfect GPA or the traditional path to academic success is not what will make you a good public health practitioner – what will is kindness, compassion, and a willingness to learn, make mistakes, and grow.”