Anduena Driza is excited to pick up her cap and gown.

"I'm excited. I can't wait to, like, finally graduate and then move on to the next step,” says Driza.

She and four of her fellow classmates will be the first to receive a degree from Dutchess Community College’s new public health program, and because of COVID-19, she sees it as the perfect time to move to the next chapter in her career.

“Couldn’t have been a more perfect time. Like, it's such a relevant topic in general, now it's even more relevant. A lot of people have a lot of curiosity around it, and I kind of enjoy explaining to people what we actually do,” says Driza.

Since the start of the pandemic, interest in the public health field has boomed. According to the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, the number of people applying to graduate-level public health programs increased by 40% nationwide.

“Public health is a degree that allows you to work with the public, either as nonprofit or for-profit, and educating people in all realms of health, including mental health, physical health and overall well-being," said DCC professor Teresa Burke.

She says this is a great time for students to enter the field because the pandemic shined a light on the need for more professionals.

The students will now be able to find jobs working with non-profits. They can also pursue a bachelor’s degree and potentially work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or for a local health department.

“I think it's a great time to be in public health, because that's all we've been hearing on the news. That's what all we've been talking about is public health and safety, and since this time in life, which we might not experience again, the students are having first-hand knowledge of how important public health is in the forefront of the population,” says Burke.

Dutchess Community College has invited 2020 graduates to participate in the outdoor ceremony. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, friends and families will not be able to attend.