University of Miami senior Tiara Ranson, who is a Boston native, has big goals and the work ethic and drive to turn those goals into a reality.
In May 2022, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Global Health Studies and Departmental Honors in Sociology.
“I think a lot of people think healthcare is just science, math, biology, and chemistry, but it includes social determinants of health, too, so that all aspects of society are involved in global health,” Ranson explained.
Just recently, Ranson received the first of her 14 graduate school acceptances while on a night out bowling with her line sisters. She recalls reading the email that relayed the good news of her acceptance three times before sharing with her sisters that she had been accepted to Emory University.
“It was a great moment to be surrounded by my line sisters and have their support as well, but really, I was just…I couldn’t believe it!” she said. The shock of receiving that congratulatory acceptance message never dulled for Ranson.
“It means even more for me,” she explained.
Ranson’s father obtained an associate degree after attending night school while raising her and her brother. It means a great deal to Ranson to have the opportunity to pursue education at the graduate level, especially to have options of which institution she could choose to continue her education.
Ranson said that her father instilled in her the concept that “no one can take away your education.” Ranson kept this sentiment in her mind as her acceptances rolled in.
“I think that I am fortunate and grateful because no one can take away my education, and I have many options, and that had not been true for my family or other individuals who look like me,” she said.
Throughout her time at the University of Miami, she has participated in various research projects and served as a research, teaching, and office assistant. In addition to her academic involvements on campus, she serves as President of Hairology, a natural hair organization that fosters conversations about culture and social change for two consecutive years.
Additionally, she served as a student program leader of the sexual misconduct event on campus, a mentor to Global Health students, and a freshman mentor for the United Black Students’ Freshman Leadership Academy. She is a member of the illustrious Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and dances and participates on the executive board of the student-led Oleku Dance Organization.
Through her involvement in research projects of varying topics and focuses, she was able to gain exposure to different aspects of Global Health and gain insight into which aspects appeal to and interest her specifically while working with the Geography & Inequalities Lab (GaIL). The lab is headed by University of Miami Associate Professor and Health Geography, Dr. Imelda Moise.
“Being adamant with your connections and trying to do research early—that due diligence helps so much,” Ranson emphasized.
Ranson is searching for a career where she can focus her efforts on the maternal side of global health. She discovered a passion for getting involved in communities and having conversations to positively impact racial disparities through her maternal health work, aiding Dr. Shameka Thomas, a scientific investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who observed the perception of Black and Afro-Latina women who underwent cesarean sections in South Florida.
She will exercise that passion this summer as she interns with the NIH—National Human Genome Research Institute with Dr. Thomas as her primary mentor in Dr. Vence Bonham’s lab in the Health Disparities Unit. The internship is housed in the Social Behavior Research Branch and will include a sociological component in healthcare and social medicine.
Ranson plans to obtain a Master of Public Health in Global Health. She has not yet made a final decision as to which graduate school she will be attending but is interested in Yale and the University of Washington.
