Cassandra Mah

BA in Health Sciences

The chance to study population health with an eye on social justice drew Cassandra to the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Cassandra Mah shares a common belief with many of us: that good health is the foundation for a meaningful life. Helping others achieve that, by preventing disease and promoting health and wellbeing, is what convinced her to apply for a BA in Health Sciences. She was able to realize her goal and put her studies to the test in the real world when she participated in the Health Change Lab, a collaborative, experiential program run by FHS and the Beedie School of Business. “We worked with the city of Surrey and various community stakeholders to identify a community health issue and then develop a sustainable business model to tackle it.”

The experience was challenging; students from different disciplines were teamed together, then tasked with creating a business model solution to solve a community health problem. Participants were responsible for identifying key community stakeholders,and reaching out for their input and design feedback. “It was really nice to get an interdisciplinary lens and work with other people in the real world.”

She says it helped her develop practical employment skills, and envision a career after her degree. “We were introduced to some contacts at Fraser Health, and that was really helpful for understanding what a career might look like. We really got to network and make new contacts,” she explains.

In the future, she is considering an MSc focusing on health economics a possibility. If her time at SFU has taught her anything, though, it’s that possibilities are a plenty. “If you’re brave enough or curious enough, both the students and faculty are keen to help you get to where you want to go, or help you figure out where that might be. It's been really nice to get a taste of different areas early on.”