Communication has such an importance in public health. As future public health leaders, we are taught about topics ranging from biostatistics to epidemiology. Learning about languages for data science, such as SAS and R, gives us yet another understanding of the information available to us. However, the caveat emphasized by many of my YSPH professors is that there is a lack of accessibility to such knowledge due to language barriers. It is one thing to discover a new evidence-based implementation; it is another to disseminate its importance effectively to communities. Information can be easily gated inside academia. This understanding stayed with me as I applied for the Student Association of Yale School of Public Health (SAYPH) communications chair role, with the goal of bridging silos and expanding accessibility.
Being a part of SAYPH gave me a sense of purpose in doing exactly that. My work became less about sharing information and more about cultivating connections within the YSPH community. Innovation was central to this process. I independently developed and launched the SAYPH website, Instagram, and Linktree, while also contributing to the creation of a centralized Google event calendar. Managing multiple communications channels was at times overwhelming, but it ultimately deepened my commitment to the work. Each platform became a different avenue for reaching people, ensuring that no one felt excluded from the community we were building.
Some of the most memorable moments came from the spaces where communication became something deeply human. Creating the YSPH Candy Grams for Valentine’s Day, for example, was a long and detailed process, but one that I will always carry with me. Reading the messages students wrote to one another revealed an incredible level of care, gratitude, and warmth within our community. It reminded me that communication is not only about information dissemination, but also about fostering belonging and emotional connection.
Similarly, working on Humans of YSPH on the SAYPH website allowed me to engage with the individual stories that make up our school. Highlighting these narratives gave me a deeper appreciation for the diversity of experiences, motivations, and passions that students bring into public health. These stories transformed communication into something more intimate and reflective, creating space for people to feel seen and understood.
My collaboration with the Office of Communications expanded my understanding of the field itself. While my coursework introduced me to the importance of clear and accessible messaging, this experience allowed me to actively participate in it. I was no longer just learning about communications — I was practicing it, contributing to it, and understanding its real-world impact.
Through SAYPH, I came to see communications not just as a tool, but as a form of care. Whether through promoting events, sharing stories, or facilitating small moments of connection, I found fulfillment in helping build a more inclusive and engaged community. This year affirmed for me that effective public health work begins not only with knowledge, but with the ability to connect, listen, and make others feel they belong.
Peppy Buadoo, MPH ’26, is the communications chair for the Student Association of Yale School of Public Health (SAYPH).