A sweeping path to success, MPH student works double duty to earn degree

Keionna Braddock-Hesson is not afraid to get her hands dirty, and she’s not afraid of hard work. In the spring of 2024, she began classes to obtain her Master of Public Health and soon after took on a full-time job with the Department of Environmental Services as a custodian. Before she tackles her schoolwork, each weekday morning she works a shift cleaning Pavilion 3 on the Health Sciences Campus.

“I come in at 4 a.m. every day and I leave at 12:30, and, well, I basically clean toilets,” Braddock-Hesson said, making no bones about rolling up her sleeves to get the job done. “I make sure to sanitize everything for everyone, clean up everyone’s desks, their offices, ensure things are up to par for them and students to come in the morning to attend classes. I make sure everything is very clean and hygienic for them.

“My work-life-school balance? Well, it all balances itself, somehow.”

In addition to balancing a full-time job with her graduate schoolwork – maintaining nearly perfect grades and earning a perfect score on her capstone project – she also completed an internship at the Richmond County Department of Public Health.

“We found ways to gain income or additional grant funding for situations like natural disasters,” she said. “Due to the current economic climate, funding is being restricted from the public health department, so we would try to work with local partners like Lowe’s, Chick-fil-A, or local businesses like mill and logging companies that would provide potential grant funding for public health. Because as long as we had an initiative to serve the community, many were willing to donate to the public health department, especially in today’s climate.” 

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in health care management from Florida A&M in Tallahassee, she moved to Augusta where her parents had relocated from Miami. Friends encouraged her to think about graduate school. As a college student during COVID, she knew she wanted to do something to affect health care policy. 

“We had strict dorm policies where we couldn’t leave. We weren’t able to see our parents at Christmas. At Christmastime, they said, if you decide to go home for Christmas, you have to stay home for two more months and be remote before you can return to campus. So, we didn’t see our parents during Christmas or the New Year; we decided to stay on campus.” 

Missing out on holiday memories with her family was a difficult choice, but it ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in public health to one day help shape policy.

“COVID-19 hit us, and it was really bad in 2020 with the policies and the rules and regulations constantly changing. It got overwhelming. I was like, ‘I want to be a part of the change.’ I wanted to be a part of the change for making policies and procedures to help prevent our communities from being affected as much as we were – finding ways to isolate the illness or outbreak sooner than later, or finding ways to prevent the rapid spread and being able to set these policies and procedures for possible future pandemics.”

After graduation, she’d like to keep her talents local and work for AU Online. She also wants to pursue an OSHA certification and a construction management certificate and possibly join the Georgia Department of Transportation.  

Braddock-Hesson does plan to take a bit of a breather after months of hard school and custodial work. She spent AU’s spring break doing homework, so she’s looking forward to some rest. Her work ethic is admirable and she encourages other young people to do what it takes to succeed.

“What I would say is, ‘Imagine what you want to be and remember that you have to put in time to be where you want to be.’ We can’t just look at our phones. We can’t just sit and watch TV. Your future self is going to be more proud of you for letting those little minor things go like TikTok and Instagram. Sometimes you have to sacrifice hanging out with friends to really become the person that you want to be, and it’s okay to sacrifice those things to get to where you want to be.

Create that path for yourself, stick to that plan and that path. Ask for help if you need it. That’s the most important thing because if I didn’t ask for help, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Braddock-Hesson is known for that kind of warmth and encouragement. School of Public Health Dean Teresa Waters, PhD, noted that she consistently supported her peers and helped elevate the MPH program while bringing a positive, uplifting presence to her classes.

“We are so proud of Keionna. She truly exemplifies the values of Augusta University of collegiality, compassion, integrity, excellence, and leadership,” Waters said. “Her drive, character and commitment to public health make her an outstanding representative of our school and university. She has such a promising future as a difference-maker!”