Khya Smith (she/her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Third Year Public Health Sociology Major, Business Minor
I am originally from Chicago Illinois, and my public health interests stem from the extreme inequities that I often notice in our nation’s health and healthcare systems.
What drew you to a public health education?
I have always known that I wanted to go into the healthcare field as I have seen the ways that it has impacted my family. I chose public health as I began to see all of the shortcomings in the healthcare system that have cost people their lives. Ever since seeing the way that the healthcare system has impacted my family in both negative and positive ways, it has been my goal to make to close the disparity gap. I believe that everyone deserves quality healthcare and through my education experience my eyes have been opened to so many different avenues to ensure that goal.
What are your goals for the future?
As of right now I plan to get my master’s in health or business administration and hopefully go into hospital management. I personally have been let down by many doctors’ offices and hospital visits and I would love to be a part of making that experience better for people. This is something I am extremely passionate about and I look forward to learning more about how I can do that for so many different people.
How do you spend your time outside of academia?
I am a big sports fan and love cheering for the Chicago Bulls and Bears. Additionally, after doing gymnastics most of my life I am a huge college gymnastics fan and am sure to never miss a meet. I also love to spend time with family and friends playing board games and watching reality TV shows.