Before she had a degree, Haneen Muthana already had a mission: improve healthcare for the people who need it most.
Her family moved from Virginia to Lafayette in 2011, but their roots extend across the globe to Yemen, where many of her relatives still live.
Those ties would later shape how she saw healthcare, and what she hoped to change about it.
Muthana originally planned to pursue nursing at the 小蝌蚪APP in 2020. But just before classes began, she realized something didn小蝌蚪APP檛 feel right.
小蝌蚪APP淚 knew I wanted to be in healthcare, but I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 want to deal with blood and wounds,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 came across UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Health Services Administration online program, and that小蝌蚪APP檚 when I knew this is what I want to do.小蝌蚪APP
So, she pivoted, enrolling in the fully online program that would help her discover her voice and define her future in healthcare.
Building Confidence and Connection Online
As the eldest in her family, Muthana balanced online coursework with helping younger cousins transition to life in the U.S., guiding them through everything from school registration to doctor小蝌蚪APP檚 appointments.
小蝌蚪APP淭hey were transitioning from a different country, so I considered myself their spokesperson,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淒uring the day, I小蝌蚪APP檇 help them. At night, I小蝌蚪APP檇 study.小蝌蚪APP
That balance was made possible by the flexibility of the online format and a program culture that encouraged connection.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was always a quiet student who only asked questions after class. But with the online program, I could message professors directly or talk in our Teams groups,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t helped a lot with confidence and just doing well academically.小蝌蚪APP
Smaller class sizes and hands-on faculty made a lasting impact. Several instructors brought real-world healthcare experience to class, opening the door for one-on-one conversations about assignments and career goals.
小蝌蚪APP淪ome of our professors worked in hospitals and shared real experiences,小蝌蚪APP Muthana says. 小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檇 review my tests with them, and they小蝌蚪APP檇 walk me through what I could小蝌蚪APP檝e done better. Having that connection and input really helped me.小蝌蚪APP
That sense of support became even more important when Muthana lost both her grandparents just weeks apart in fall 2023.
小蝌蚪APP淚 had to be there for my family, but I also wanted to finish college because that小蝌蚪APP檚 what my grandparents always wanted for us,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey wanted us to excel.小蝌蚪APP
As a first-generation college student, Muthana leaned on UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 for guidance.
小蝌蚪APP淢y parents didn小蝌蚪APP檛 go to college, so if I was confused about anything, I would always go to them. They were so helpful,小蝌蚪APP she says.
Through grief and growing responsibilities, she remained focused on the goal her grandparents had always encouraged her to achieve.
Finding Her Calling in Health Reform
Muthana小蝌蚪APP檚 passion for health equity came into sharper focus during her internship with SCP Health, a national health solutions company based in Lafayette that partners with hospitals and health systems to improve patient care.
Through department rotations, she explored the business side of healthcare, and one visit stood out.
小蝌蚪APP淚 asked to meet with the company小蝌蚪APP檚 lawyer, and she told me about going to Capitol Hill and advocating for healthcare reform,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 when I knew healthcare remediation is my goal.小蝌蚪APP
For Muthana, the stakes are personal. On visits to Yemen, she saw how limited access to care shaped the lives of those around her 小蝌蚪APP including one cousin whose condition might have been treatable with timely medical intervention.
小蝌蚪APP淜nowing she could小蝌蚪APP檝e had a different life 小蝌蚪APP it made me think, I don小蝌蚪APP檛 want it to be like that here. We have the resources in Louisiana and across the U.S. We can do better.小蝌蚪APP
Motivated by that belief, she pursued opportunities beyond the classroom.
She earned a human rights consulting certification from the and served as a research assistant on Instructor of Health Sciences Tierney Beebe小蝌蚪APP檚 dissertation project on interprofessional education.
小蝌蚪APP淒r. Beebe put so much into that project. We even got feedback that it should go national and take it to Capitol Hill,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t was one of my favorite experiences.小蝌蚪APP
Her commitment to advocacy and equity earned her both the for Diversity and Social Justice and the .
A Shared Accomplishment
With her degree complete and a growing list of credentials, Muthana is taking a brief pause before pursuing her next step in healthcare policy or reform.
She小蝌蚪APP檚 exploring opportunities with the same purpose that小蝌蚪APP檚 guided her from the start: improving access to care and outcomes for underserved communities.
小蝌蚪APP淓very person will need healthcare at some point. If someone dies because there wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 a doctor around, not because of the illness itself, that小蝌蚪APP檚 a bigger problem,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淲e need to make it better.小蝌蚪APP
She encourages students in the health services administration program to start making connections early.
It wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 until her final semesters, when she joined student organizations and got more involved, that new opportunities started opening up.
小蝌蚪APP淚f there小蝌蚪APP檚 any opportunity to be a research assistant, take it,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 was hesitant about signing up at first, but it ended up being one of my best experiences.小蝌蚪APP
And while her journey was filled with personal milestones, Muthana sees her success as a family effort.
小蝌蚪APP淢y parents are my biggest supporters, and I truly don小蝌蚪APP檛 think I could小蝌蚪APP檝e gotten through college without their support,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淎lthough they didn小蝌蚪APP檛 have the opportunity to attend college, this was a shared journey. I dedicate all my accomplishments, and my degree, to them.小蝌蚪APP
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