Post by Princeton University

Like mother, like son 🎓 "My highlight of graduation season was definitely seeing my mother walk on stage seven days before I did." ​After completing his finals, Brian Mhando '26 went home to New York to watch his mom, Anna Mhando, receive her master's degree in Construction Administration from Columbia University. While they were both attending college, Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. "There were many moments during college, especially during my junior year, when my mom was sick, where I would come home and spend time studying with her. We would often work together at our living room table, holding each other accountable for our work ... We definitely helped each other succeed during moments of intense academic pressure." Earlier this spring, Brian was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. He plans to pursue an MPhil with a focus on human diseases at University of Cambridge in preparation for a career as an epidemiologist, with an initial focus on village health systems in East Africa. His mother’s battle with breast cancer drew his attention to inequities in healthcare and was one of his inspirations to pursue a career in global health, developing equitable and cost-effective health systems to support people worldwide. "Watching my mom pursue her graduate education, even while sick, has further inspired me to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology. In moments where I doubted myself at Princeton or felt unfit for graduate school, she reaffirmed that I could push through by refusing to quit, despite facing many strenuous challenges during her master's degree. I could not be prouder and more honored to have graduated the same year as her." On May 26, Anna and family were in Princeton to celebrate the other graduate in their family, Brian, who earned his bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and minors in African studies, African American studies, and global health and health policy.