front entrance of huff hall

Student Profile

Andy Venegas

Andy Venegas

What keeps you busy outside of your coursework?

After completing coursework, I enjoy exercising because it allows me to have a clear mind and allows me to be more productive throughout the day. I have decided to up my cooking game and attempt to make something different every weekend to expand my food choices, but also to maintain a healthy diet that I love. With the pandemic still limiting activities, I have had more time to video chat with friends and family along with playing with my dog.

What inspired you to pursue a MHA degree?

Throughout my undergraduate career, I was not set on pursuing anything after graduation. I took a year off to work and took time to think about how I want my future to look; with my last position, I was able to discuss topics with medical professionals and administrators as well. Reflecting on my work experience made me realize I want to work in the management area within a healthcare facility to bring healthcare professionals together. In order to fix problems, we must understand what went wrong in the first place, and that is what motivated me to pursue an MHA - to understand the issues in healthcare to change how it is delivered.

Why did you choose Illinois for your MHA?

When looking at programs, I kept Illinois in mind for the MHA. The professors I met throughout my undergraduate time pushed me to reflect on the quality of life through the scope of community health and health administration to see what improvements need to be made. What ultimately made me choose Illinois was the faculty and knowing from experience how involved they are to assist the students in any way possible to help them reach success.

What advice do you have for current students OR prospective students?

I would say that it’s okay not to know what you exactly want to do after graduation. I know I’m interested in health management, but that leaves room to learn about the different areas in healthcare. Starting off the program I became hesitant because I felt as graduate students, we should have an idea of where we want to work, but the truth is that the program will do a great job shaping us into future healthcare leaders that can jump into any setting and still succeed. Know why you are pursuing what you are pursuing, the momentum builds off of what you learn.