{"id":211562,"date":"2022-05-12T14:29:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T18:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=211562"},"modified":"2022-05-13T13:24:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-13T17:24:50","slug":"samantha-burkhart-named-2022-sph-convocation-student-speaker","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2022\/samantha-burkhart-named-2022-sph-convocation-student-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Samantha Burkhart Named 2022 Convocation Student Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">convocation<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSamantha Burkhart Named 2022 Convocation Student Speaker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">The soon-to-be health law and policy graduate is dedicated to addressing issues of poor health at their root and ensuring the public good is centered in all policy work.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">May 12, 2022<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/mallory-bersi\/\">Mallory Bersi<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2022\/02\/S-Burkhart-portrait-800x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-207590\" width=\"300\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/02\/S-Burkhart-portrait-600x779.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/02\/S-Burkhart-portrait-335x435.png 335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/samantha-burkhart-83a9ab169\/\">Samantha Burkhart<\/a> has been selected as the student speaker at the 2022 School of Public Health Convocation. She will speak at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/events\/sph-commencement\/\">in-person ceremony<\/a> on Saturday, May 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After receiving her undergraduate degree in public health from Northern Arizona University, Burkhart came to SPH driven by her desire to look beyond individual behavior change and address issues of poor health at their root. Now, as a soon-to-be graduate who completed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/education\/degrees-and-programs\/master-of-public-health-programs\/certificates\/health-policy-and-law\/\">health policy and law certificate<\/a>, she is determined to apply what she has learned throughout her program to influence policy and ensure that the public good is kept at the center of all policy work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After graduation, Burkhart will head to Washington D.C. to begin the year-long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winstonfellowship.org\/health-policy-fellowship\/\">David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship<\/a>, where she will have the opportunity to learn more about the development of effective health policy by working directly with policy-makers in both the public and private sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in how systems operate and how policies have the power to influence change within those systems,\u201d she says. \u201cPolicy is really where a lot of good public health practice comes together, from program development and communication to data analysis. I am excited to start my career with this fellowship and learn from experts who are working to make healthcare better for people across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout her time at SPH, Burkhart immersed herself in public health work both at SPH and within the community. As the community engagement director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/students\/student-services\/student-organizations\/busph-student-government-sac\/\">Student Senate<\/a>, she spearheaded a semester-long partnership with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bphc.org\/whatwedo\/Teens\/boston-area-health-education-center\/Pages\/bahec.aspx\">Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC)<\/a> to introduce high school students to public health and social justice work. She also co-led efforts to organize and launch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/students-lead-virtual-conference-to-connect-public-health-students-across-new-england\/\">the first Public Health Student Forum<\/a>, a multi-school partnership that aimed to connect public health students across New England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps one of Burkhart\u2019s favorite experiences while at SPH, though, was serving as the student representative on Governing Council, the senior governance body of the School. In this role, she had the opportunity to flex her policy-making muscles to help inform decisions and develop policies that would best represent SPH students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was an eye-opening experience to sit on Governing Council and advocate for the voice of students at SPH, especially during such a challenging time,\u201d she says, pointing to the ever-changing information landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cI learned a lot of valuable lessons about leadership and how to make decisions while continuing to balance the needs of different populations that I know I will carry with me throughout my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond these experiences, Burkhart says that what she will cherish most about her time at SPH are the students, staff, and faculty she has met and engaged with along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe people here are invested in you,\u201d she says. \u201cThey take time to learn about you, guide your interests, and listen. It\u2019s really unique, and it has truly been the highlight of my SPH experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the graduating class, their time at SPH has been marked by difficult events, from the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide racial reckoning to the war in Ukraine and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/in-memoriam-david-k-jones\/\">loss within<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2022\/in-memoriam-richard-saitz\/\">the SPH<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2022\/l-adrienne-cupples-in-memoriam\/\">community<\/a>. Burkhart recognizes these hardships but remains hopeful for the future. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been through a lot, and we are tired,\u201d she says, \u201cbut we are not in this fight alone. I hope we are able to take the time we need to rest and recharge because the work we do in public health is a lifelong commitment. It requires all of us working together to move it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-list alignright sphnews-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>student news<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2022\/student-named-david-a-winston-health-policy-fellow\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Student Named David A. Winston Health Policy Fellow<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">February 24, 2022<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Activist Lab<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/student-creates-public-health-course-for-teens-to-turn-frustration-and-hopelessness-into-action\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Student Creates Public Health Course for Teens to Turn &#8216;Frustration and Hopelessness into Action&#8217;<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 7, 2021<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Samantha Burkhart has been selected as the student speaker at the 2022 School of Public Health Convocation. She will speak at the in-person ceremony on Saturday, May 21. After receiving her undergraduate degree in public health from Northern Arizona University, Burkhart came to SPH driven by her desire to look beyond individual behavior change and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14852,"featured_media":207592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"convocation","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[1272,3649,3793,3177],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3531,3541],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/211562"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14852"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211562"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/211562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211624,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/211562\/revisions\/211624"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=211562"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=211562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}