What did you do this past summer?
This summer I worked with the Questbridge Scholarship Program as a Georgia Quest Ambassador. Quest Ambassadors travel to high schools across the state in order to assist low income and first generation students in their college and financial aid applications.
Please comment on the pursuit of your major and minor, as well as any other academic interests.
I am pursuing a degree in English while also completing my pre-med requirements. I am interested in addressing disparities in health and education in United States and abroad, particularly in Ethiopia where my family is from.
Please tell us about a significant or memorable experience you have had during your time at UChicago.
My residence hall, Max Palevsky, hosted a lecture with the Nobel laureate Lars Peter Hansen. It was a great opportunity to learn more about Hansen's theories about economic development and consider ways to apply his theories on a global scale.
What activities do you participate in outside of the classroom? Are there any that are new from last year?
I am the publicity chair for Student National Medical Association/ Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, abbreviated as SNMA-MAPS. SNMA-MAPS organizes community service events that involve volunteering at hospitals and offering advice to highschool students interested in pursuing the sciences. SNMA-MAPS also has a mentoring program in which allows undergraduates to seek advice from medical students at Pritzker and doctors from the University of Chicago Medical Center. Last quarter I worked at Joe and Rika Mansueto Library and conducted research on multiple sclerosis patients at the University of Chicago Medical Center. I am also involved with the African Carribean Students Association and helped organize a fashion segment on East African clothing at the ACSA cultural show.
As a scholarship recipient, to what extent are you grateful for the support you received? What are your thoughts on how you might one day give back to the University of Chicago?
Thank you so much for providing the funding that has allowed me to attend this amazing institution. The students at the University of Chicago inspire me everyday with their commitment to achieving their goals, which has motivated me to achieve my goals with an equal fervor and passion. I have gained insight on the steps necessary to accomplish my long term goals such as opening clinics in Ethiopia and improving the education system. I have also gained insight on ways to make the college transition easier for low income students. Through my work as a Quest Ambassador, I intend to inform first generation students on the hurdles they may have to overcome when attending a top tier institution like UChicago so that they will be able to experience college at their full potential.
