From ACPHS to Pew Charitable Trust Substance Use Prevention and Treatment | Occupation Station

A strong desire to help people has always drawn Nawshin Ahmed toward health related careers. That desire is what attracted her to ACPHS with thoughts of becoming a pharmacist. But not long into her academic career, Ahmed began to realize that pharmacy was not going to be her career destination. With advice from her thoughtful, knowledgeable and caring professors, Ahmed began to switch her focus toward the field of Public Health. After her 2016 graduation from ACPHS, she advanced to receive a master's in Public Health from the University at Albany, and a master's in Business Administration from Stony Brook University. Her strong desire to help people is now actualized through her work with government and community leaders in shaping health policies through the Pew Charitable Trusts' Substance Use Prevention & Treatment Initiative. She provides technical assistance to states seeking to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorder and to reduce the number of overdose deaths. Nawshin Ahmed’s experiences give her a great perspective on the journey from higher education to career. She tells current and prospective ACPHS students they should know that there are many paths available to them. She also says students should be open to exploring new options and shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way.