First year MSPH student Alea Lopez did not set out on a career path in the policymaking arena of public health. Lopez, a proud native of Union City, New Jersey, earned her BS in Nutritional Science from Rutgers in 2022. She quickly landed a position she was passionate about—as a nutritionist with the New Jersey Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in her hometown. There, she worked directly with the Latino community, including many families newly arrived in the U.S., providing nutrition and breastfeeding education as well as critical referrals to food and nutrition resources and community organizations. It was during her time at the WIC program, when the Federal Government narrowly avoided a budgetary shutdown, that Lopez learned how deeply and immediately policy decisions can affect individual families. “That was when my curiosity about policy was sparked,” she recalls, “I started wondering, ‘How are these policy decisions made and implemented?’”
Lopez began researching more about the WIC program’s history and impact beyond New Jersey. “I really enjoyed the one-on-one interaction of direct work with clients, but I started longing for more – I wanted to help more than one family at a time.” This research brought her to the Bloomberg School, where she enrolled in the MSPH program in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health. “The legacy of work of PFRH faculty, both launching and advancing the success of WIC, definitely drew me to Bloomberg and to Pop Fam,” she recalls. PFRH Professor Emeritus David Paige was instrumental in the founding of the WIC program in the 1970’s.
I leave every day inspired and feeling like there is room for me in the work going on here.
After fulfilling her required first term classes, Lopez filled her second term schedule with coursework focusing on nutrition, policy, and maternal and child health programs. “I only had a slither of experience at WIC, in direct service,” she notes, “And I wanted to gain a thorough knowledge of the historical context of these programs.” These courses deepened her understanding and sparked conversations at home, as well: “Both of my roommates are pursuing a Master’s degree at Bloomberg, in different departments, and we’re always having all kinds of interesting discourse. One thing I love about Hopkins is that you will always have overlapping interests with people in different parts of the School.”
It was also during her second term when she learned about the Health Policy Institute, a for-credit fellowship offered by the Bloomberg School in partnership with the Maryland General Assembly that pairs graduate students with state lawmakers during the legislative session, providing students experience and insight into the policymaking process. As part of the application process, students apply directly to lawmakers working on topics that match their areas of focus. Lopez landed on Delegate Jennifer White-Holland, District 10 representative. “I was immediately drawn to her because she is a Bloomberg School and PRFH alumna, but also when I read about her priorities – transparency, accountability, maternal child health, black maternal health – it felt like a perfect match.”
Lopez was accepted into the HPI fellowship in January 2025 and began working in Annapolis one to two days a week, which she will continue to do through April. The Maryland legislative session runs for four months out of the year—making for a rapid and high impact start to her work there. “In just my first few weeks, I’ve already contributed to a variety of bills—ranging from the prescription drug affordability board and public access ombudsman to leading advocacy meetings and collaborating on an upcoming Maryland Health Department health equity dashboard. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with organizations like the Maryland Food Bank, the National Federation for the Blind, and the Maryland Hospital Association.” While the work is fast paced, she has felt like a valuable member of the team since day one. “I leave every day inspired and feeling like there is room for me in the work going on here.”
Delegate White-Holland, a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee and a 2012 graduate of the Bloomberg School, welcomed Lopez warmly into her office. “Alea has been a great help to our office during this legislative session,” White-Holland said. “She has taken ownership of the two bills of which she is assigned, collaborates with other HPI fellows, and is contributing to the success of our bill hearings.”
White-Holland recalls her time at the Bloomberg School as a period of foundational relationship building. “My fondest memories are rooted in the relationships I built and maintain from the Bloomberg School. Whenever I see, interact, or engage with former staff, faculty, and classmates in my new role as a State Delegate and as a public health professional, it is a full circle moment reminding me of my journey and foundations in public health.”
Lopez feels full-circle moments as an HPI fellow, as well. “I think that is why I am here,” she notes, “to bring my unique perspective to the table, to think about those who are often left out of the conversation, like my former WIC clients, and to amplify their voices.”
When asked what advice she has for future Bloomberg students, she urges students not to limit themselves to their department or area of interest. “Sometimes we think, ‘Policy—oh that’s HPM.’ But it’s not like that. This place is so diverse, and we can’t pigeonhole ourselves based on what we think we should be focused on. Leverage your unique experience, career, and educational background. We can’t change perspectives until everyone is sitting at the table.”