When Gabriella Ward joined Boise State University, she imagined leaving to become a nurse. After learning about the importance of preventive health, Ward pivoted and joined the Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree with a minor in Sociology.
Ward graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health this winter. Read on to learn more about Ward’s passion for building community and dance.
Q: What originally brought you to Boise State and the School of Public and Population Health?
A: My interest in attending Boise State stemmed from having family nearby and absolutely loving the scenery of the town. I originally began my college career as a nursing major, but soon learned more about the School of Public and Population Health, and wanted to focus my career on health prevention and understand how our populations are affected through different factors.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about your studies?
A: What I have enjoyed the most about my studies in Public Health is the amount of support I felt I have had from SPPH staff and my professors. I have always admired having strong connections with my teachers because it allows me to not only build connections, but feel that I have individuals I can always come to for career resources.
Although many of my health classes in the last two years have only been offered online, what I appreciate is that the curriculum is built for these classes to be just as inclusive as an in-person course through group work and discussions with our classmates weekly.
Q: What made an impact on your experience at Boise State?
A: Through my college experience, I have been able to continue my passion I’ve loved for the last 20 years — dancing. I was a part of the Bronco Dance Club, in which I was fortunate to have heard about this club in my first semester, the fall of 2021. Bronco Dance Club became a huge part of my college experience and aside from my studies, it has been one of the biggest highlights of this journey.
In my second and third years of college, I was within the leadership team of the dance club and was elected as the president for the 2024-2025 school year. It was an honor being able to build relationships, friendships and memories with this club over the last four years, and I felt so lucky to be able to guide this group of amazing dancers and bring new achievements to the club.
Q: How has your time in your program broadened your outlook on health?
A: My time in SPPH has broadened my outlook on health, in terms of understanding preventive efforts and factors that affect the population in ways I would have never thought about. This program has taught me what it means to work in healthcare and how important health education is for every individual.
I am grateful for the opportunities, projects and essays that I have been assigned, as they have widened my perspectives on the world and society we live in. They have also given me a new appreciation for the health workers that you might not see on the frontlines. Public Health is extremely impressive from my perspective, and being able to dive into the complexity of what Idaho’s Public Health has to offer has been beneficial to my future career ideas.
Q: What advice do you have for younger students starting in their health programs?
A: College can feel extremely overwhelming, and many times can make you question everything. It is very important to remember you are not running out of time. The pressure to build a path for a career in college will feel heavy, but what I wish I knew as a young student is that the unknown of your future can also be the most exciting part