This spring, Tulane University Libraries has its own reason to celebrate Commencement. Breanna Martin, Circulation & Interlibrary Loan Library Technician, is graduating from Tulane's Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology. She earned her advanced degree while showing up every day for the campus community she has served so faithfully.

Balancing the demands of graduate coursework with a full-time position is no small feat. For Breanna, it required discipline, a strong support network, and more than a few long days that ended with a commute downtown to class straight from work. Her achievement is a testament to the kind of quiet, determined excellence that defines the best of what this Libraries community has to offer.

We sat down with Breanna to hear about what drove her to this milestone — and what she's carrying forward.

What inspired you to pursue an MPH in Epidemiology?

I did my undergraduate in public health here at Tulane and took my first epidemiology class in the spring of 2020. I saw the importance of epidemiology in real-time and was inspired by all the work being done by public health professionals. There was also something comforting in learning more about all the work done behind the scenes to monitor and protect community health — I knew I wanted to be a part of that.

What areas of public health or epidemiology are you most passionate about?

An area I've always been passionate about is increasing access to medical care and reducing barriers to health programs. Health is a human right, and at the end of the day I just want to help people, whether through research, field work, policy development, or program implementation.

What was your experience like in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine program?

The professors at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine are amazing. I really enjoyed the program and learning from people doing such inspiring research. One challenge I encountered was taking foundational classes in a spread-out sequence rather than simultaneously or in a traditional fall/spring order — since the courses built on each other, I sometimes found gaps just from the order I completed them. But my professors were all so willing to help, and getting to talk with them after class or during office hours made an enormous difference.

"One of the most rewarding parts of my graduate school journey was working as a research assistant on a meta-analysis — and having the honor of being a co-author on a paper that will hopefully help elucidate current trends and disparities in the global burden of hypertension."— Breanna Martin, on collaborating with Dr. Katherine Mills and Dr. Samantha O'Connell

How has working at Tulane Libraries complemented or supported your studies?

Tulane Libraries constantly aided my studies — shout out to Matas course reserves for having almost all of my course textbooks! But beyond resources, it was the community. Getting to work in a place where everyone values knowledge and genuinely wants you to succeed really helped me through the long days when I'd head downtown to class right after work. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me along the way.

What advice would you give to other students balancing graduate school and work responsibilities?

Talk to your advisors, your professors, and your supervisors. There were times I was overwhelmed by the amount of work I needed to do, and talking through the roadblocks I was facing with people who knew me, and were able to offer support or potential solutions, made all the difference.

Breanna's expertise in epidemiology adds a meaningful perspective to our community — and to the world — at a moment when public health literacy has never mattered more. We are proud to have played even a small role in her journey, and we cannot wait to see what she does next.

Please join us in congratulating Breanna Martin on this extraordinary achievement.