Maria Angela Soto and Michael Rainone are two Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students who serve their communities through the path of a career in public health.
Maria Angela Soto and Michael Rainone are two scholars in SDSU’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program, who represent the commitment and dedication of DrPH students.
Maria Angela Soto, born in Modesto, California, and raised in Kern County, began to be interested in public health while working for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) at the age of 23. Engaging with workers who experienced exploitative working conditions in hopes of gaining employer-sponsored healthcare coverage resonated with her, as she had grown up with farmworker parents. Experiencing the effects of these disparities firsthand drove Maria Angela to begin a dedicated career as a public health professional.
Working full-time at the New York City Department of Health, Maria Angela currently leads a team of seven individuals with extensive experience and commitment to community outreach, public messaging, and workforce capacity building. Remotely, she completes her DrPH courses where she interacts with peers from all over the country and world. She said, “I have the privilege of learning from so many diverse experiences and perspectives. The applied nature of the DrPH degree allows me to readily implement what I learn to real-world situations.”
Maria Angela’s commitment to social justice has shaped her practices and research interests in public health. Ensuring that everyone has basic access to healthcare and education is her public health goal. As a public health professional, Maria Angela has been called to respond to many public health emergencies—including Ebola, Zika, Hurricanes Sandy and Maria, and the monkeypox outbreak—while also enhancing community outreach efforts to ensure tailored and effective responses. In the future, she hopes to work on a dream project that would involve working closely with the community, policy makers, and educators to create models that can apply to multiple communities for long term impact.
Being a DrPH scholar allows Maria Angela to make a tangible impact on the well-being of communities. Theories learned from the program, like principles of adaptive leadership and organizational change theory, have contributed to Maria Angela’s approach to solving challenges in her career. She said, “Being a DrPH scholar has profoundly impacted my life in numerous ways. It has sharpened my ability to maintain a rigorous study and work schedule. I serve as a model of lifelong learning and higher education for my children.”
The community support that Maria Angela wishes to create in her work mirrors the support that carved a path for her career. She noted being privileged by luck to have a caring high school counselor and a federal policy like Affirmative Action that allowed students like her to shine. This support enabled her to graduate from UC San Diego. During time off, Maria Angela enjoys learning about artisanal-made textiles as a hobby while at her Harlem, New York City apartment where she raised her three children.
Michael Rainone’s journey in public health began at the age of 14, when he was hospitalized for an unknown virus. While many other young teens would be anxiously anticipating their discharge, Michael was captivated by the functioning of the hospital. He became curious about patient flow, the role of administrative teams, and how all components worked together to create a functional environment. This moment sparked a curiosity in Michael to understand and improve healthcare systems, which paved the way for his career as a public health professional.
Michael’s time as a DrPH scholar is spent alongside his cohort who are similarly full-time professionals. He noted being excited to learn from his DrPH cohort, “a group of incredibly knowledgeable and wise professionals.” Managing a busy work schedule requires careful planning. A full workday at his daytime job can include strategizing pilot deployments or analyzing data before switching over to focusing on schoolwork with his DrPH cohort. This involves reflecting on the insights of the day to inform their academic discussions and research.
Michael’s current work focuses on integrating population health management and technology values within the military health system. The goals of his research include developing community care hubs specifically tailored for the aging health space. He said, “These hubs aim to coordinate care across multiple sectors, ensuring that older adults receive comprehensive support while reducing fragmentation in service delivery. By integrating value-based care models, I hope to improve both the quality of care and patient outcomes in this vulnerable population.”
Michael’s commitment to current applied projects for work and research have paved the way for the future of his career as a public health professional. His dream project would involve creating an interconnected health ecosystem for aging populations, blending predictive analytics and community-based care to optimize outcomes. Within this system, providers and caregivers would be empowered with real time insights in making informed decisions.
Michael follows the three A’s when dealing with challenges in his career: ask, anticipate, but never assume. Asking the right questions initially allows him to anticipate potential outcomes and prepare accordingly. Avoiding assumptions means that he leads with decisions that are grounded in evidence and open discussion.
Being a DrPH scholar has impacted Michael’s life by broadening his understanding of public health challenges and solutions. He said, “The program has encouraged me to critically develop my goals and align them with broader public health themes.” In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, Michael noted being honored to serve as a Fellow through the Muhlenberg College Weiss Fellowship. He said, “This experience has deepened my commitment to governance and strategic leadership, further enriching my perspective on health systems and public policy.”
Maria Angela Soto and Michael Rainone are two inspiring scholars who are part of the Doctor of Public Health Program, overcoming challenges and obstacles to pursue research and practice with the shared goal of making a meaningful difference.
