PHS Insider - Johnny Graniero

| 21 January 2026

“Be transparent and honest with those you lead and create an environment that is conducive to learning and open communication. Celebrate failure and attempts at something new, because that’s the only way we grow and make existing processes better.”

Meet Johnny Graniero, a Master of Public Health (MPH) student within the 2024-2025 cohort, known for his passion for public health, leadership, and community-building. Johnny's path to pursuing his master’s began in the fourth year of his undergraduate studies. At the time, his first course in public health left a lasting impression on him, particularly when he learned about the lack of health literacy in Ontario. Reflecting on his experience, Johnny explained:

“Like understanding computer stuff, not everyone will understand their health, and that’s okay! An individual’s health is of course very important, so I became very passionate about helping people take their health into their own hands.”

Before beginning graduate studies, he felt that solutions seemed unclear so, he worked for a year in the healthcare sector to gain practical experience before looking into graduate programs. Initially, he wasn’t aware of what an MPH was until he spoke to one of his colleagues who was completing one at another university. In the end, he found the MPH program at Queen’s University to be a perfect fit with its emphasis on knowledge translation and communicating with diverse populations. Upon reflecting on the start of his graduate journey, Johnny shared that his only regret was not beginning it sooner!

During his time in the program, Johnny became actively involved in the Public Health Sciences Student Association (PHSSA) and soon took on the role of Co-Vice President. Alongside MPH co-president, René Lobo, he helped to manage and facilitate the association’s events and opportunities for both students and faculty. When asked about what inspired him to take on the leadership role, Johnny reflected to his experience being Co-President when he was part of his undergraduate program’s student government group, HK Society at the University of Windsor. He explained that joining PHSSA gave him the opportunity to create something bigger than himself

“something bigger than myself, something that helps others and leaves a lasting positive impression on people”.

When asked about his personal experience within PHSSA, Johnny spoke brightly of his colleagues, the team, and his opinion on what helped them to successfully pilot the organization:

"I was quite happy to lead this group with René; she brings a lot of heart and positive energy to PHSSA that spreads to the teams she oversees. And that leads me to the valuable lesson I’d like to share: trust in your colleagues, and trust in your teams! In my opinion, leaders should empower those they oversee, and that’s accomplished by giving them the freedom to do their work, serving as more of an advisor and point of contact when the team gets stuck. It helps people build a sense of ownership in their work, which in turn leads to better results. If you’re passionate about your work, you’ll do it well!"

When Johnny began his practicum at Providence Care, a local hospital in Kingston, he helped to evaluate the Transitions Home program, an initiative supporting patients returning home after hospital discharge. The goal was to help these patients adjust to community living, improve their quality of life, and continue rehabilitation from the comfort of their homes. He described it to be an incredible learning experience as a developing public health professional. Guided by his supervisor, Dr. Heather White, Johnny worked in an environment centered on trust, constructive feedback and encouragement. This support allowed him to not only refine his work, but pursue opportunities beyond core responsibilities, including connecting with health care professionals, shadowing program staff, and attending lunch-and-learns.

As Johnny graduates the MPH program at Queen's University, we asked him what piece of advice he would give to future leaders or individuals aspiring to become great leaders.

"I’m not an expert in leadership, but I have spent a lot of time working on mine. No one will be the perfect leader on day one; developing and refining your leadership style is a constant process that will evolve over time. So, give yourself some grace while you figure out what methods work best, and what methods you identify with and build into your own personal leadership style! Be transparent and honest with those you lead, and create an environment that is conducive to learning and open communication. Celebrate failure and attempts at something new, because that’s the only way we grow and make existing processes better. Always be positive, and if you need to have a hard conversation, never be condescending. Because at the end of the day, we’re all human, and the only way we get better is by trying!"

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PHS Insider - Johnny Graniero

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