The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals.
Following is a Q&A with Vivek Sivan, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Health Equity (HPHE) and Neurobiology and graduating in 2025.
Where are you from? How did you become interested in pursuing a degree in this field?
As a student who grew up in Madison, I have always been blessed to take part in opportunities provided by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. One such opportunity was the LEAP Forward Internship Program that I participated in during high school. In this program, I was able to intern at the Population Health Institute, where I was first introduced to the concept of “social determinants of health” and how they affect health equity and social justice. This idea really inspired me because I always wanted to be a doctor who treated “downstream” diseases, but had never considered the “upstream” factors that cause these conditions in the first place. Thus, when I realized that UW–Madison was offering a Health Promotion and Health Equity major, I pounced at the opportunity to gain a more holistic education in healthcare and medicine.
How did you decide that you wanted to become at UW–Madison Badger?
I was born and raised in Madison, which meant that being a Badger was in my blood. When I was a kid, I would often accompany my dad to his workplace on the weekdays – in an Alzheimer’s research lab located at the heart of the UW–Madison campus. On the weekends, my parents would take me around Camp Randall to witness the sea of red and white on game days. Between the academic bustle of the lab and the joyful spirit of the football games, I fell in love with the idea of someday being a Wisconsin Badger myself!
What has been your most meaningful experience with the HPHE program?
The most important experience I have had with the HPHE program is having the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with my peers and professors. Many times, the sheer size and scale of the university can lead students to feel insignificant. As a pre-medical student, I have found myself at times feeling very disconnected from my professors and classmates in pre-med classes due to the large classroom sizes and competitive environment. However, in the HPHE major, the smaller student-to-faculty ratio and collaborative environment have allowed me to foster some of the strongest relationships of my academic career. The ties that I have built with the HPHE academic staff have opened various doors for me to explore profound new opportunities in the major, including the HPHE Club for which I am now serving as president.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
The series of classes that had the greatest impact on me within the HPHE major were the Kines 370 and Kines 566 courses taught by Dr. Luis Columna. While I had always heard of community programs, I had never considered the careful thought and planning that went into the creation and design of these programs. In Kines 370, we learned how to conduct a needs assessment, which is a systematic process to identify and prioritize health needs within a given population. Once we had identified the health gaps faced by a community through the needs assessments, we followed up our work by designing a program that would address these health needs in Kines 566. Overall, learning about the step-by-step program planning process of a community-based health program was an extremely eye-opening experience for me.
What are your future goals or plans?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. My experience in the HPHE major has significantly transformed the vision I have for my future as a healthcare professional. I want to be a doctor who not only focuses on the “downstream” treatment of disorders, but also understands the “upstream” causes of these disorders in order to prevent them in the first place. My HPHE classes have taught me about the social determinants of health and the complex intersectionalities that cause disproportionate health disparities amongst minoritized communities. By raising awareness and advocating for my patients, I hope that I can inspire other doctors to examine the systemic healthcare barriers that affect the daily lives of their patients.
Anything else you value about the School of Education or your program that you’d like to share with others who are considering it?
Deciding to be a part of the HPHE community in the School of Education has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. Apart from the individualized attention and accessibility to staff that the major provides, one of the biggest positives of the HPHE major is its collaboration-based approach to education. In the real world, professional success is most often attributed to teamwork, cooperation, and leadership skills over individual performance. The HPHE curriculum focuses on group projects and collaborative presentations over individualized exams. In this way, the HPHE major and the School of Education takes significant strides towards ensuring that its students are prepared to succeed in the real world.
What are some tips that you have for anyone starting college/transferring to a new one?
The biggest tip I’d give to someone starting college/transferring to a new one is to invest time into finding your community. Building the right support system, consisting of both like-minded peers and passionate mentors, has been the single most important facet of my college education. For me, this wouldn’t have been possible without finding my community amongst the wonderful students and staff of HPHE.
What are some tips that you have for current students who are trying to maximize their experience?
Get involved with activities outside of your school curriculum. For me, this meant joining the newly formed HPHE Club at UW during my freshman year. As a member of the club, I was able to help organize group events, share resources and internship opportunities with interested students, and provide a safe space for HPHE students to share their experiences. During my senior year, I was chosen to become the president of the organization, which has taught me valuable lessons about leadership and commitment. Overall, becoming a member of the HPHE Club was one of the best decisions of my college experience.