2022 Student Speaker Series
The annual Global Health Leaders Conference at Johns Hopkins University includes a Student Speaker Series, where selected students in grades 9-12 present on their own global health-related work or a global health topic of their interest. Presentation topics in the 2022 Student Speaker Series included pandemic preparedness, food insecurity, climate change, period poverty and stigma, antibiotic resistance, child poverty and mortality, cancer, mental health, and more.
Student information below is updated as of August 2022
Click the button below to visit The GHLC at JHU YouTube channel to view all 2022 Student Speaker Series presentations!
Vibha Addala | Vandergrift High School, Austin, Texas, USA
Vibha is a rising junior from Austin, TX interested in using artificial intelligence to democratize healthcare. Her most recent research project was COVID ML: a novel artificial intelligence based app for efficient diagnosis of Covid-19 and other lung related illnesses. She has presented her research work at international conferences and to researchers across the globe. She is currently working to make improvements to the app. Vibha is also a research intern at UT Austin and John Hopkins where she works on projects that involve the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine. Aside from research, Vibha is the founder and president of Educate 2 Empower: a 501(c)(3) non-profit working to empower underprivileged females with educational, financial, and health-related support.
Fahmida Afreen | DPS STS School, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fahmida Afreen is a rising senior at DPS STS School, Dhaka. She aspires to be a neurosurgeon and is passionate about global health. Fahmida is currently taking an MOOC on Neurobiology from the University of Chicago on Coursera. She leads the department of Interdisciplinary Sciences at the STEM club of her high school. She has been involved with the Dhaka chapter of the non-profit, Cancer Together as a content writer. They work to spread awareness about cancer, debunk myths, and conduct fundraisers for cancer patients. Fahmida enjoys science communication and teaching, a passion she recognized while tutoring a student. She loves debating and painting. Reading being her hobby, the library is Fahmida’s favorite spot at school.
Shria Ajay | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Shria is a rising senior from Scottsdale, Arizona, who is hoping to pursue a career in pediatric medicine. She is the President of Science National Honor Society and the Leadership club at school and dedicates her weekends to being a weekly in-house volunteer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She conducts mental health research through PCH and is also conducting an independent research project on drug use in teenagers. Additionally, Shria organizes yearly donation drives for the homeless, with over a thousand donations received from her community. In her spare time, she loves to play the piano, watch baking shows, and read. In the future, she hopes to major in biochemistry and lead a career improving childrens’ lives.
Zali Akiba | Mounds View Highschool, Arden Hills, Minnesota, USA
Zali is a rising junior at Mounds View High School in Arden Hills and hopes to pursue degrees in Biology and Computer Science. Zali enjoys exploring intersections between technology and the medical field and has also been able to do extensive research on this intersection. One example of this is bioprinting and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. A few extracurriculars Zali participates in include volunteering at their local hospital, attending Youth In Government Conferences, participating in marching band, and engaging in various clubs. Outside of school, Zali enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. In the future, Zali hopes to make healthcare accessible in low-income areas through low-cost and highly efficient technology.
Samara Alazar | West Springfield High School, West Springfield, Virginia, USA
Samara is a rising junior in Springfield, Virginia. She is involved in extracurriculars at her school, such as being a part of the Girl-UP, DECA, and UNICEF clubs. Samara is a competitor in her DECA Chapter where she competed at states, winning third place and advancing to nationals. She is also currently a national competitor, where she placed second in the historical research competition, National History Day. Samara serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Wegene, which works to provide underprivileged families in Ethiopia with shelter, education, and food. In her free time, Samara enjoys playing piano, reading, and practicing tennis. Samara plans to further her interest in science over summer by taking a Cancer Research course at Harvard University.
Pamuk Altan-Bonnet | Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Pamuk is a rising senior in Bethesda, Maryland, interested in medicine, biology, public health, and anthropology. Apart from her academic life, she spends a lot of her time acting in plays and musicals, boxing, and playing the piano. Pamuk is also very active in her county’s advocacy group for young women. She hopes to one day work internationally in the medical field -- inspired by Médecins Sans Frontières -- so she can erase any barrier that blocks people in need from medical care and practice her French daily.
Brittany Berlin | Florida Atlantic University High School, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Brittany Berlin is a rising sophomore at Florida Atlantic University High School in Boca Raton, Florida. She is actively involved in student government, the International Thespians Society, and Model United Nations. Brittany enjoys spending her free time with her family and Siberian cat, Basil. She hopes to pursue a career in public health to bring awareness to issues facing many developing nations.
Samuel Bouchard | Westview High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Samuel Bouchard is a rising senior at Westview High School in Portland, Oregon. He is deeply involved in community service as he runs his school's chapter of the National Honor Society and regularly volunteers at local hospitals. He is also president of his school's Science Club, managing and participating in the Science Bowl and Science Olympiad teams, as well as team captain of his school’s speech and debate team. Outside of school, Sam is the director of the One Health Hackathon, an innovation event aimed to equip the next generation of global health leaders with the tools to prevent future pandemics. This past year he also completed internships at Stanford and the Oregon Health and Science University.
Sophie Brown | The Derryfield School, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Sophie Brown is a rising senior at the Derryfield School with aspirations of practicing regenerative medicine. She is the founder of the Medical Club at her school with a purpose to educate high school students interested in medicine. Sophie’s other extracurricular activities include Breakthrough Teaching Intern, tutor for OneProsper Organization, Derryfield tennis team, volunteering at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and other school clubs in the medical field. This summer, Sophie is thrilled to attend the Health Careers Institute at Dartmouth and an internship with Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute. Sophie hopes to pursue a career in medicine as a dermatologist and be involved in public health so that she can help bridge the gender gap in school systems while also advocating menstrual hygiene management.
Mitali Chaudhari | Sunset High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Mitali Chaudhari is a rising junior at Sunset High School with aspirations of practicing medicine. She is especially passionate about improving healthcare accessibility for underprivileged communities. She is the founder and president of the Health Awareness club at her school and the upcoming President-Elect of the Sunset HOSA Chapter. Independent from an academic setting, she enjoys doing Bharatanatyam classical dance and playing soccer for her high school.
Srijay Chenna | The Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Srijay Chenna is a rising junior from Newark, Delaware attending the Charter School of Wilmington. Through an avid interest in STEM - especially scientific research - he has researched vaccines, telemedicine, opioids, water accessibility, and much more. He also explores global health through the New York Academy of Sciences, modeling his work in response to global health crises. He also enjoys challenging himself with the United States of America Biology Competition. He also finds comfort in playing the piano, trumpet, euphonium, guitar, and cornet. He performed in Carnegie Hall for piano and is the first chair trumpet in the Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra. On a summer evening you can find him playing tennis or out fishing.
Ethan Chiu | Syosset High School, Jericho, New York, USA
Ethan Chiu is a rising first year student at Yale University seeking to explore the intersection between medicine, innovation, and policy. Through extensively volunteering in local hospitals, serving on the American Red Cross National Youth Council, and acting as Next Generation Diplomacy's Chief Executive Officer, he has gained invaluable insight into the truly globe-spanning impact of community service. Now, Ethan conducts stem cell research with international scientists at Mount Sinai. Additionally, Ethan is also an avid public speaker and debater, advocating for more healthcare access through policy change around the world through policy initiatives as the US Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade Policy Committee Chair, pushing for more sustainable water access solutions through Congress and the NOAA.
Hannah Cho | North Hollywood High School, North Hollywood, California, USA
Hannah Cho is a rising senior from California with an interest in neuroscience and cognitive science. She gained passion in these fields when she first started working at a neuroscience lab a year ago. At the lab, she handled physiological data of teachers undergoing stress and independently wrote a research report based on the data. Hannah also loves biology - demonstrated by her recent qualification as national USABO semifinalist. At school, she founded Women in Tech club, and leads the research club, American Computer Science League Club, and American Cancer Society club- this year, Hannah led her school to fold over 6,000 paper cranes to give to young cancer patients. In her free time, she volunteers as a crisis counselor.
Hana Choi | James W. Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Hana Choi is an International Baccalaureate student at James W. Robinson Secondary School and will be finishing the last year of high school for the 2022-23 school year. She is an avid member of her community, earning several President's Service Awards (Gold and Bronze) for her extraordinary leadership in her community. Choi enjoys going beyond the limits for her education and has taken multiple classes through dual enrollment while also working as a research assistant at George Mason University and being Executive Director of GIVE Youth. Hana Choi is an avid supporter of all things pertaining to education and healthcare equity, volunteering, and participating in events pertaining to global health locally and nationally.
Esther Chung | Chadwick International, Incheon, South Korea
Esther Chung is a rising senior at Chadwick International School located in Incheon, South Korea. With her passion for biology and chemistry, Esther aspires to work in the medical field. She has conducted some research on biology, ecology, and sustainability and has been awarded for her research as well. She also raises awareness about the significance of sustainability and ecology and has educated younger students and created mediums to do so. In her leisure, she enjoys watching and creating films as an executive producer in her school’s production club CITV, alongside playing the violin in chambers or orchestras. In the future, Esther visions more accessible medical care around the world and hopes that she is part of the process.
Charlotte Cunningham | Washington-Liberty High School, Arlington, Virginia, USA
Charlotte is a junior at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, VA. She has presented science projects and research papers in the categories of Chemistry and Medicine and Health. At school, Charlotte is a Science Fair Mentor and the founder of the global health club Glohea, sponsored by JHU's Glohea. As part of its mission, she invites global health speakers to present and assists club participation in community health projects. GHLC participants seeking mentorship to start their own Glohea club should contact her. Charlotte is creating a global network of Glohea clubs and welcomes all to join. Charlotte plans to major in psychology and Spanish in college and become a global health leader. She has attended GHLC since freshman year.
Sauman Daus | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Sauman Das is a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and aspires to use Machine Learning in an impactful manner. He has presented at the International Science and Engineering Fair in 2021 and at the IEEE Bioinformatics and Biomedicine Conference. Sauman enjoys sharing his passion for STEM at his school as the Captain of the TJ Machine Learning Club and enjoys competitive math as a member of the school Math Team. Outside of school, he enjoys playing tennis and learns to play the piano. In the future, he hopes to use the knowledge he has gained in Computer Science to change some aspect of society.
Maryam Elfeky | South Brunswick High School, Kendall Park, New Jersey, USA
Maryam is a rising senior at South Brunswick High School in NJ and an aspiring medical professional with specific interests in pediatrics and oncology. Within her school community, Maryam holds a variety of different leadership positions some of which include being the President of the Students for Public Health Club and the Co-founder/President of the SB Incorruptible US Club where she works to ensure that the Big Tobacco industry does not take advantage of youth and ATOD prevention becomes a reality. Outside of school, Maryam is on the leadership team of a youth-led nonprofit called Project YASH that aims to improve the lives of special needs students through different programs. Her hobbies include reading, playing soccer, competing, and volunteering.
Audi Ellis | Chadwick International, Incheon, South Korea
Audi Ellis is an aspiring disability lawyer and cellist. Being born with Nystagmus and Cone Rod Dystrophy, she has dedicated her life to breaking the stigma around Eye Health and Disability Inequalities in and out of the medical field. She has spoken to eighth-graders on accessible PE activities and worked with differently-abled students on how to figure skate through Southport Skating Club's Rising Stars Therapeutic Skating Program. In addition, she has spoken with Berklee School of Music’s blog “Take Note” on being a Visually Impaired musician and bringing music to all and is also the founder of iVista, (International Visually Impaired Successful Teen Association) which aims to provide resources internationally for those who are visually impaired and teachers of the visually impaired.
Diya Gehlaut | International Academy East, Troy, Michigan, USA
Diya is a rising senior from the International Academy in Michigan. Her love for public speaking and medicine have led her to be the president of both her Model UN Team and HOSA Chapter. Her nonprofit organization, Another Hope: Science Medicine Scholars, works to educate underprivileged youth in STEM subjects across the entire globe. She enjoys volunteering and earned the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Her interest in biochemical research has allowed her to work closely with professors and compete at prestigious competitions. She aims to advance healthcare for all and aspires to become a physician. Outside of school, she plays singles for her school’s Varsity Tennis Team.
Kia Ghods | Florida Atlantic University High School, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Kia Ghods is a rising senior at Florida Atlantic University High School in Boca Raton, FL. He has conducted research on the study of serotonin transporters, CRISPR, and epidemiological modeling, where he studied the overlap of HIV and nutrition, presenting this research at numerous University conferences. He has served as an AMSA officer, and is currently a captain of his school’s Science Olympiad team, vice president of HOSA, and is an intern at the inaugural NIH Florida Summer Institute of Biostatistics and Data Science. He hopes to apply mathematical and data science techniques to the study of disease and aims to become a physician scientist conducting clinical trials.
Susmita Gudla | C. Leon King High School, Tampa, Florida, USA
Susmita Gudla is a rising junior in the international baccalaureate program in Tampa, Florida. She is looking to pursue a degree in biomedical sciences and public health. She is the secretary of the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council where she works with the City of Tampa and Mayor Jane Castor. Susmita is also a volunteer at Grace Community Medical Center where the State of Florida Department of Health awarded the clinic grants to pursue minority healthcare studies and research, which she is heavily involved in. She is a peer mentor in the BEST program where she guides high school students to careers in STEM, as well as educates the community about the social determinants of health. Susmita is also Vice President of her schools Red Cross and Showchoir.
Emma Gui | University of Toronto Schools, Ontario, Canada
Emma is a rising senior from Toronto, Canada who is captivated by the application of technology in different fields and its ability to improve the status quo. One of her main projects is LungTech, where she is working with her partner, Ashley Mo, and MIT’s Mobile Tech Lab, in order to develop an algorithm that can distinguish between pulmonary diseases via forced cough recordings. Outside of an academic setting, she focuses on acting and directing, helping students of all abilities to perform their best and hosting productions to encourage kids to get involved in drama. In the future, she hopes to work towards developing technology related to global health and environmental science to diminish pressing global issues.
Rhea Gupta | John P. Stevens High School, Edison, New Jersey, USA
Rhea Gupta is a rising senior from Edison, NJ. Currently, she is an intern for a company called the Resiliency Program that assesses and reduces employee workplace burnout through personalized resiliency plans. She is also working to promote the idea of free menstrual products in public schools near her. Rhea is president of the club More Than An Athlete, which is involved in providing community services from local athletes and she has committed her summer to research at Weill Cornell Medicine. Rhea enjoys playing basketball and binging Netflix shows when free. In the future, Rhea plans to have a career in Interventional Radiology while continuing to fight for equal medical rights for everyone.
Adwaith Hariharan | Biotechnology High school, Manalapan, New Jersey, USA
Adwaith is a rising senior interested in the intersection of STEM and humanities, particularly in the context of achieving social equity. He is a researcher and dedicates his time to STEM outreach in vulnerable communities to advance educational equity by organizing hackathons and providing experiential STEM opportunities to underprivileged and special needs students. He is also a DEI advocate for individuals with autism. Adwaith enjoys traveling, swimming, and working on and mentoring community projects. With his interdisciplinary research interests in neuroscience, artificial intelligence and global health Adwaith aspires for a career in medicine where he hopes to use technology and healthcare policy advocacy to tackle systemic barriers in disadvantaged communities.
Ahmad Haroon | Busan Foreign School, Busan, South Korea
Ahmad is a rising junior at Busan Foreign School in South Korea. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, he is pursuing a career in medicine. He is a prominent member of the Student Council at his school, while also being a member of the National Honors Society. During his free time, he enjoys football and swimming, reading, and spending time with his family and friends. He loves exploring the different fields medicine has to offer, having attended a summer program at Cambridge. In the future, he hopes to do research on cancer, specifically for the purpose of contributing to the search for a cure.
Jasmine Ispasoiu | Saratoga High School, Saratoga, California, USA
Jasmine Ispasoiu is a junior at Saratoga High School passionate about social justice and OB/GYN. She is the president of her school’s Dear Asian Youth chapter and advocates for sexual abuse survivors in her free time.
Rushil Jain | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Rushil is a rising senior attending BASIS Scottsdale, aspiring to become a physician specializing in emergency medicine or sports medicine. In the healthcare industry, he hopes to address socioeconomic inequality in regards to access to proper healthcare to reduce diseases and diagnose disorders early on, especially in low-income and underprivileged individuals. Outside of school, Rushil is actively involved in extracurriculars focused on medicine and healthcare, including volunteering at Banner Health, researching neurological disorders with a professor, participating in a hands-on anatomy camp, being the president of Exploring Emergency Medicine, and a member of HonorHealth’s Medical Explorers Club. Rushil also enjoys playing guitar and practicing taekwondo. Rushil’s generation must address global health inequalities - he is eager to make an impact now.
Saachi Jain | University of Toronto Schools, Ontario, Canada
Saachi Jain is a rising junior at the University of Toronto Schools in Ontario, Canada. Her passions include biology, global health, and the liberal arts. Saachi has raised awareness on the detrimental environmental effects of the pandemic and has published her findings in the Pre-Collegiate Global Health Review (PGHR). She is an active member of a number of extracurriculars including HOSA, DECA, the Harvard Future Doctors Program, and theater. She is the co-founder of Volunteer Hub, an organization that helps students connect with non-profit organizations and lead meaningful volunteer experiences. In her free time, Saachi also loves to dance, volunteer at the hospital, and travel. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in global health and medicine.
Roy Jeong | Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, California, USA
Roy is a rising junior at Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. In his free time, he enjoys playing baseball, reading, and spending time with friends. His favorite extracurricular activities include being an avid member of the speech and debate team, tutoring middle schoolers, and umpiring baseball. In the future, he hopes to pursue a career in medicine and bioengineering.
Sneha Jiju | BASIS Ahwatukee, Chandler, Arizona, USA
Sneha is a rising sophomore at BASIS Ahwatukee in Phoenix, Arizona. As founder and co-leader of the organization Women United, she is an activist for gender equality and female empowerment. Through her organization’s programs and blog, she seeks to inform the public about the injustice faced by young women and uplift girls to fight for the opportunities they deserve. She also leads her school’s NJHS chapter and is a member of the Speech and Debate team, Leadership Society, and school ambassador program. She has conducted independent research in the fields of immunotherapy and oncology, and she hopes to study medicine in the future with the ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.
Harold Jung | Korea International School Jeju, Jeju-do, South Korea
Harold is a rising junior at Korea International School Jeju in Jeju-do, South Korea, who recently found interest in medical fields and global health. In school, Harold has continuously shown his passion in chemistry and math classes. Furthermore, he worked as an officer of the Honor Council and an organizer of DECA competition among Jeju international schools in the 2021-22 academic year. Outside of school, Harold spent my time playing soccer with his friends. As a varsity player on the school soccer team, Harold has consistently trained and played soccer throughout his school career. Although he does not have a firm or specific future for himself, I would like to pursue a career in the medical field.
Anvi Kalyana | National Cathedral School, Washington D.C., USA
Anvi is a rising senior from Herndon, Virginia, interested in the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and mental health. She is currently doing research at Virginia Tech, in which she is developing a novel model to detect cyberbullying on social media. She is the captain of the Science Olympiad team, and she leads the Girls Who Code club. Anvi is also a Dr. Bear’s Ambassador at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC. In her free time, Anvi loves to participate in Kathak, a form of Indian Classical Dance and she enjoys discussing how art can have a profound effect on mental health for her podcast. In the future, Anvi hopes to positively impact those suffering from mental health issues globally.
Aaron Kim | Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea
Aaron Kim is a rising junior at Seoul International School with a fervent passion for understanding the underlying factors that affect students' mental and psychological well-being. Although empathy is a large part of his motivation, Aaron is motivated by the lack of accessible research available to young people to understand their psychological health further. As an initiative member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Aaron and his fellow club members meet weekly to discuss how to spread awareness on mental health and counter the stigma of mental health. Aaron is continuously pursuing opportunities at the intersections of his interests in psychology, history, and community engagement and has recently begun to explore the relationship between stress, sleep, and cognition.
Kaylee Kim | La Canada High School, La Canada, California, USA
Kaylee is a rising junior who aspires to pursue her future career in healthcare, especially in the biomedical field. She has participated in the summer research program at Brown University, where she dove deeper into research in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Kaylee is a consistent, active volunteer at the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, serving the community as a member of the Youth Executive Board. In addition, Kaylee has continued to expand her musical journey since the age of 6. She won the Minister Prize at the Center for Gifted Youths in Performing Arts in South Korea and was selected as a finalist at the Certificate of Merit Panel with a State Honor Award this year.
Isha Kothakonda | West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor, New Jersey
Isha Kothakonda is from West Windsor, New Jersey. She has a passion for science, medicine, and dentistry. Isha’s extracurriculars align with her interests: volunteering, research, clubs, and passion projects. Isha is the Hosa captain of Knowledge at HSS, placing in states & regionals at medical conferences, working/shadowing various doctors, and volunteered by teaching families about oral hygiene, gaining more awareness and knowledge of the lack of access to oral health among at-risk adolescents, families and the impact on their health in Trenton. Isha discovered her passion for global health, making her the president and secretary of administration for HSN Unicef. Moreover, Isha is a rower, a painter/published artist, and loves to travel.
Srimayi Kukkadapu | Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia, USA
Srimayi is a rising sophomore at Lambert High School in Suwanee, Georgia. She is passionate about global health, furthering this by being an active HOSA member and attending healthcare conferences. She has international-level achievements in HOSA and is the president of the VT Seva club at her school. Her club aims to encourage youth philanthropy through volunteering in the local community. Srimayi serves the community in numerous ways and has helped local hospitals and special needs kids during the Covid-19 pandemic. She loves singing, completing a Carnatic Music Diploma. She is researching how to provide rural areas with effective and cheap healthcare. She aims to use technology to give distant communities effective diagnosis and treatment from experts around the world.
Arni Kumar | Largo Highschool, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Arni Kumar is a rising college freshman from St. Petersburg, Florida who is looking to pursue a degree in psychology and biomedical sciences. Outside of the academic setting, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and is a makeup enthusiast. She is a strong advocate for the underrepresented both in her community and abroad which is why she was the leader for the “The Pulsera Project'' where hand woven bracelets were sold to advocate for free trade and fair wages for the artists and volunteered for Best Medical Academy to assist in medical screenings, health surveys, and vaccine drives. In the future, she hopes to continue by advocating for those with mental health issues by becoming a psychiatrist.
Nandita Kumar | Hebron High School, Carrollton, Texas, USA
Nandita Kumar is a senior from Dallas, Texas, pursuing a career in public health and public policy. Her interest in global health stems from the staunch disparities in health outcomes that marginalized communities face. She is the founder of a district-wide, student organization working to bring equitable changes to her school district. Her accomplishments include making menstrual hygiene products free and accessible in her school’s bathrooms, working towards improving the sex education curriculum, and advocating for survivors of sexual assault. She continues her advocacy through her position on her district’s Health Advisory Council. She also works with March for Our Lives Texas, Girl Up, and Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition on a variety of advocacy projects to reduce social inequality.
Megan Lee | Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore
Megan Lee is a grade 10 student from Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore. She is a member of her school’s Dance Club, Model United Nations and Peer Helper Board. She enjoys dance (Completing the dance curriculum in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with distinction). She leads multiple projects such as Project FRIENDS, aimed to increase the understanding of Alzheimer’s, Project CybeRUN, advocating for a safer online space and Project Nibbles, aimed to reduce food wastage. She is part of the KidsREAD program to support low income Singaporeans, is an active intern at a local clinic, and is part of the Young Defense Scientists Program. She hopes to become a surgeon in the future, providing equitable surgical care across international health systems.
Nina Lee | Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Gangwon, South Korea
Nina is a junior at Korean Minjok Leadership Academy who has a strong interest in genetics and astrophysics. For pursuing her future career in such a field, she has been selected for National Hanseong Nobel Scholarship, promising her contribution to the development of international science technology. She aims to study astrobiology to be a researcher at NASA.
Mohana Malapati | South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Georgia, USA
Mohana is a rising senior at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia. As an aspiring physician and passionate student of healthcare, she enjoys reading books on the subjects of medicine and public health in addition to fictional literature. She is passionate about learning more about public health topics such as that of insulin resistance. As an active student, she is involved in several honor societies, HOSA, her school's Biology Olympiad club and is in the process of completing the Health information Management Technology Certificate program through dual enrolled classes with Lanier Tech. In the meantime, she enjoys volunteering for Medshare, Meals by Grace, and Keep Forsyth County Beautiful litter cleanups.
Kamilla Marosi | Wycombe Abbey School, Wycome, England
Kamilla is a rising senior attending Wycombe Abbey School, with ambitions of a career in Medicine and biomedical research surrounding global health. Witnessing a heart transplant and Da Vinci robotic surgery have inspired her to take on Co-Head of Medical Society at school, alongside founding her own Neuroscience Society. Kamilla is also one of her school's Heads of Debating and Public Speaking Officers, and she competes at a Division 1 Level nationally. In her free time, she enjoys coaching Special Olympics athletes, traveling, dancing and practicing Taekwondo, in which she is a 2nd Dan Black Belt holder and three-time International Schools champion. Kamilla is currently pursuing an independent research project on using placebos in clinical practice.
Ayati Mishra | Tereso High School, Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA
Ayati is a rising junior in Southern California, USA with a strong passion for neuroscience, medicine, and community service. She has pursued her interests through founding the MedWay club at her school to open students’ eyes to the infinite possibilities in medicine. Furthermore, she is an Assistant Director for the Southern California Youth Neuroscience Association (a youth initiative under the UCI CNLM), President of the Tesoro Key Club, Executive Assistant for Key Club Division 4 South (Region 3), and a volunteer for her local hospital. In her free time, Ayati enjoys reading books, playing piano, drawing, and baking. When she is older, Ayati aspires to be a physician and combine her ambitions in science and helping others.
Ashley Mo | University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Canada
Ashley is a rising senior from Toronto, Canada who’s fascinated with the intersection of emerging technologies and diagnostics. One of her independent projects is Helio, developing a low-cost biosensor for vitamin B12 assessment in low-middle income countries, gaining idea validation from experts at the WHO and CDC. Her other project is LungTech, where she is working with her teammate Emma Gui, and MIT’s Mobile Tech lab to program an AI mobile algorithm that can screen for pulmonary diseases via forced cough recordings. She’s also in an accelerator called the Knowledge Society, where she’s worked on consulting challenges with the UN, Instacart, and Shell. In the future she’s hoping to scale her projects and continue to work hands-on with diagnostic technologies.
Kirti Muthaiah | Lambert High School, Suwanee, GA, USA
Kirti is a rising senior at Lambert High School aspiring to pursue a career in healthcare as a cardiac surgeon. She is passionate about medicine and research and hopes to use her knowledge and skills in order to improve the quality of healthcare. She currently serves as an officer of the largest HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter in the world, and conducts research with a mentor from the American College of Cardiology targeting pertinent issues in the field. Outside of her involvement in competitions, research, and healthcare focused organizations she loves to spend time volunteering with the American Red Cross, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation, as well as tutor underprivileged youth in math and science.
Keerthi Nalabotu | Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, California, USA
Keerthi is a rising senior from California hoping to pursue a degree in biology and computer science. She hopes to create an impact in the future by applying her knowledge to better the lives of those around her. She is the incoming President of the Biotech Club, Co-President of Science Olympiad, and VP of Neuroscience at her school. She is also a member of the Youth Council of US Representative Eric Swalwell and the PUSD Film Festival committee, helping to organize the annual city-wide film festival. In her free time, she tries not to binge Netflix (but usually doesn’t end successfully).
Siddharth Nareddy | Peak to Peak Charter School, Lafayette, Colorado, USA
Siddharth Nareddy is a rising junior at Peak to Peak Charter School in Colorado. His goal in the future is to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering and become an emergency medicine physician. Bioprinting and its related applications fit in perfectly with this goal and it is something that Siddharth is very passionate about. Aside from this, he is also passionate about creating change on the community level. Siddharth is currently working for Boulder County Public Health as an hourly employee, and he is also working with a group to pass legislation regarding youth mental health. Outside of academics/extracurriculars, Siddharth loves to play tennis and spend as much time as he can outside.
Vicky Nguyen | Lord Byng Secondary School, Vancouver, Canada
Vicky Nguyen is a rising junior at Matthew McNair Secondary in British Columbia, Canada. She is interested in discrepancies in healthcare among developing countries, especially in nutrition and mental health. Vicky is a Youth Health Ambassador at McCreary Center Society, where she facilitates events and research on youth mental well-being during COVID-19. She is additionally an editor for Future Generations of Medicine and a Junior Instructor for science camps at the University of British Columbia. Vicky also participates in her school’s Student Council and Math Club and volunteers at the local library. She aspires to be a physician to help address socio-economic barriers in healthcare. In her free time, Vicky enjoys reading history, listening to music, and learning new languages.
Nidhi Parthasarathy | Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California, USA
Nidhi is a rising sophomore at Lynbrook High School in California. She is passionate about technology, particularly its applications to helping people and making a difference. Nidhi has participated in the Girls Who Code, Technovation, and Magic Mentorship programs and developed multiple applications, to track pollution, to reduce teenage stress, and to help seniors during Covid. Recently, she has been exploring the applications of AI/ML for social good, to improve human connection, and for global health. She is also active in the USA Computing Olympiad, placing Silver last year, and has been recognized by NCWIT with their national “Aspirations in Computing” award. Outside of school, Nidhi is also passionate about dance and service, and likes hanging out with her friends.
Aanya Patel | Hillsborough High School, Tampa, Florida, USA
Aanya Patel is a rising senior enrolled in the IB program at Hillsborough High School. She is the founder of Global Girls Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides menstrual hygiene products and education to youth and students in underserved communities. Dedicated to ending period poverty, her organization has donated over 250,000 menstrual hygiene products to several schools and youth-organization and is currently working with her school district to install menstrual hygiene dispensers in all Title 1 high school bathrooms. Aanya's favorite activities include volleyball, playing the flute, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.
Amisha Poojari | Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Amisha is a freshman at Micds in St. Louis, Missouri with a passion for medicine and dream of specializing as a pediatric surgeon. Her love for children and desire to help others awarded her the Presidential Service Award in 2022. Johns Hopkins University at the top of her mind continues to motivate and inspire her as she leads in daily life. Amisha values knowledge and believes in bringing her vision to reality. In starting HOPE, Amisha constantly works towards creating awareness and gathering support to put an end to poverty. She intends to establish purpose in everyone's lives. Alongside her future aspirations, Amisha's known for her optimism and enjoys dancing, singing and experiencing the world around her.
Antara Potala | Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, Singapore
Antara Potala is a grade 10 student from Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore. Alongside being chairperson of Art Club in school, she enjoys engaging in community service projects, playing tennis and the piano (having received a ABRSM grade 8 qualification). Some of her service projects include Project FRIENDS, a project partnered with Dementia Singapore, which aims to reduce stigma by increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s and Project Honey & Bread, a project partnered with an elderly care center to provide befriending sessions. She is also an active intern at a local clinic and member of the Singapore Junior Biology Olympiad. In the future, she hopes as a doctor, she can pursue clinical cancer research and tackle systemic barriers to good health.
Carolyn En Sze Por | Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore
Carolyn is a sophomore at Raffles Girls' School in Singapore. She has a strong passion in research science and has presented her work at national conferences including the Youth Science Conference, and Singapore Science and Engineering Fair. She enjoys creative thinking and her team has represented Singapore in the "Future Problem Solving Programme" International Conference in the United States. Besides participating in Model UN conferences and musical endeavors, she also has a passion for volunteer work and is involved in a volunteer group enriching the lives of children with chronic illnesses. She hopes to pursue a degree in the healthcare profession, holding a particular interest in neuroscience.
Rutvi Pota | Lynbrook High School, Cupertino, California, USA
Rutvi is a rising junior at Lynbrook High School. She is passionate about the intersection between biomedical engineering research and global health. She is Co-President for Hands-on STEM, a 501(c)(3) organization created to combat the opportunity gap in the Bay Area by providing free STEM workshops and student research mentorships to students in underprivileged communities. As a part of her school’s Engineering Club, she explores new research and developments within various fields such as mechanical, computer, and bioengineering. She also enjoys dancing as co-captain of her school’s Bollywood team, going on hikes with her family, and singing with her choir. In the future, Rutvi aspires to pursue a career in biomedical engineering.
Harshita Rai | Wayzata High School, Plymouth, Minnesota, USA
Harshita Rai is a rising sophomore at Wayzata High School looking to pursue a degree in public health and a career in medicine. Some of her extracurriculars include volunteering at local hospitals and nursing homes, HOSA, and speech. She enjoys writing blogs and creating YouTube videos. Her passion for global health arose when she witnessed issues in her home country and community. These experiences inspired her to work as an ambassador to specifically raise awareness for mental health and education for children through selling jewelry and leading community service projects. She also has experience with research in other global health issues such as vaping and tobacco use. In the future, she hopes to continue contributing to the global health community.
Agalya Ramkumar | International Academy West, White Lake, Michigan, USA
Agalya is a rising junior at International Academy West in Michigan, USA. She leads the Disrupting Racism Student Association (DRSA) and the branch GIDAS (Genes in Health and Disease) chapter in school. Outside of school, she loves to teach and learn on online platforms and tutoring centers. Agalya is also the founder and CEO of Compass4Careers, a nonprofit that aims to connect students with the right opportunities through networks and resource pages in over 30 countries. Her involvement in miRcore inspired her passion for health science and biotechnology. In the future, she plans on a career in advocating for gender and LGBTQ+ equality in the medical field and a career in global health diplomacy.
Aneirin Rockwell | Prattville High School, Pratville, Alabama, USA
Aneirin Rockwell is a rising Junior at Prattville High School in Prattville, Alabama. He is seeking to pursue a degree in either general medicine or immunology. In Aneirin’s free time, he learns classical guitar and piano, participates in speech and debate, and works with a nonprofit charity called The Meththa Foundation, which provides prosthetics to children in Sri Lanka. Aneirin aims to help as many people as he can with the skills he has learned and apply the morals instilled in him by his family and close friends. Aneirin hopes to leave a powerful impact on those he aids, so that they will pass on the good deeds of charity and help those who are less fortunate.
Hiranya Sai Priya Balireddy | Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, Singapore
Hiranya is in 9th grade in Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary). She is vice-chairperson of her class and also a Peer Helper in school, being trained with the skills to help care for others’ mental health. She is currently being trained in Emotional Regulation Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Along with her leadership commitments, she is in her school’s debate team. Her main hobby is dancing, and she also enjoys volunteering whenever she has the time to. She has completed a research project on Chlorella. She also tutors underprivileged children as part of her volunteering activities. Hiranya has a great passion for mental health, having had personal experiences with it and hopes to one day rid the stigma surrounding it.
Vedant Sharma | Awty International School, Houston, Texas, USA
Vedant is a rising junior at Awty International School in Houston. He is very passionate about global health issues, sustainability, and reducing food waste. He is the co-founder of Blooming Sapling (www.bloomingsapling.org), to raise awareness about climate change and create a sustainable future. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Savado360 (www.savado360.com), whose mission is to reduce climate emissions by converting food waste into innovative products. He was a finalist in Conrad Challenge, NFTE (WSI) and a semifinalist in Diamond challenge. At school, he is the founder of the STEM innovation club, Editor in the newspaper club and member of NHS and swimming team. In the future, Vedant is interested in pursuing a career in medicine and global health.
Khushie Shelat | Jericho High School, Jericho, New York, USA
Khushie Shelat, a rising senior from Jericho, NY, aspires to be a Medical Officer in US Public Health Service. For her community service leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Khushie was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by Congressman Thomas Suozzi and a New York State Senate Proclamation from State Senator James Gaughran. Subsequently, she was selected for Senator Gaughran’s Youth Policy Cabinet where she helped research the public health impact of the legalization of recreational marijuana. As the Founder and President of the Jericho Pre-Health Society, Khushie enabled high school students to explore healthcare careers. A Waksman Scholar at Rutgers, she has conducted research in molecular biology and is currently participating in similar research with faculty at UMass Amherst.
Kelly Shen | Sacred Heart Preparatory, Atherton, California, USA
Kelly is a rising senior interested in both cardiology and neurology, and has attended Stanford’s CSSSI program (and is a TA this summer), Brown University’s neuroscience courses and UPenn’s biomedicine course. Her organization, Project HEART, aims to promote CPR education in her community. Kelly’s article on vocal learning is published in the New York Times. She interned at UCSF studying blood flow in relation to pulsatile tinnitus, and is currently interning at UPenn’s Clinical and Translational Research Lab. Outside of medicine Kelly attends SF Conservatory’s pre-college program as an opera major, is an avid poet who is also editor-in-chief of her school’s literary magazine, and an enthusiastic bird watcher who can be found somewhere on a hiking trail with binoculars.
Samyak Shrimali | Jesuit High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Samyak Shrimali is a junior from Oregon and is passionate about biomedical engineering and computer science-based research. Over the course of the last four years, Samyak has conducted international/national-level award-winning research in the fields of hospital-acquired infections, crop diseases, and climate change at Portland State University and Oregon Health & Science University. Some of Samyak’s major achievements include being a Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior Winner, BioGENEius International Finalist, ISEF Finalist, National Power of Children Awardee, and one of America’s Top 10 Young Scientists in the 3M YSC. Along with research, Samyak is also an avid STEM and hand-hygiene activist. He is the Vice President of NGN Portland and has hosted 15+ STEM workshops for children all around the world.
Bodhana Sivagurunathan | Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Guelph, Canada
Bodhana is a rising senior at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute with a keen interest in biomedical engineering, innovation, and equity. She has formerly written a viewpoint article on the prospect of bioprinting tissues and their potential to reduce organ shortages. In addition to working as a research intern at the Holland Bloorview Autism Center, she served as the Head of Education at the youth-led nonprofit PERIOD Ontario for two years, organizing educational workshops on menstrual health. Alongside these pursuits, Bodhana plays on her high school's senior basketball team, serves as the Vice President of her school's Athletics Council, has earned accolades at local and international business competitions, writes for the environmental charity The Starfish Canada, and enjoys camping with family.
Aparna Sivaraman | Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, Missouri, USA
Aparna is an incoming freshman at Washington University in St. Louis planning to major in Anthropology with a concentration in Global Health on the pre-med track. Throughout high school, she held numerous leadership roles in varsity tennis, Science Olympiad, and HOSA. She has spent several hours exploring special needs through her internship at ECHO Autism, a telementorship program that teaches professionals how to support children with autism. In her free time, she enjoys having picnics with her friends, reading novels, and exploring her hometown. Aparna is excited about pursuing a career in medicine and looks forward to exploring pediatrics, psychiatry, and global health.
Jennifer Song | Dwight School, Seoul, South Korea
Jennifer is a rising sophomore at Dwight School Seoul, located in South Korea. Jennifer hopes to continue to spark her interest in the medical field and eventually achieve her dreams of becoming a cardiac surgeon. At school, she is involved in Varsity Volleyball, Mental Health Club, and CodeMIRACLE- a philanthropic organization funded by three freshmen, including Jennifer, aiming to support children around the world with SDG Goal #3: Good Health and Well Being. Jennifer also plays violin for her school’s orchestra and has been chosen to become 2022-23 HOSA’s vice president. In her spare time, she loves playing club volleyball and eating out with her friends.
Sahil Sood | Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia, USA
Sahil is a rising senior at Lambert High School that aspires to pursue a career in neurology. He has conducted research on neurodegenerative diseases and sleep cycles in the past, having presented at several national conferences, awarded monetary prizes at international research symposiums, and been a co-author on three papers in peer-reviewed journals. Other than research, Sahil has served as a state officer for HOSA, the marquee organization for future health professionals, and he currently serves on the international committee of the International Genetically Engineered Machine. Outside of science, he is an avid debater, having been ranked as the top debater in the world by the NDCA, and he likes to give back to his community with his nonprofit organization.
Janvi Srivastava | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Janvi is currently a sophomore at BASIS Scottsdale. She loves all things neuroscience and artificial intelligence, and is the founder and president of her school’s Neuroscience and Neuroethics Club. She is especially interested in applying her AI knowledge to medicine and has presented at global health and engineering conferences and competitions, including the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. She is a nationally ranked Academic Decathlete and also helps run her school’s Economics and Finance club. In her free time, Janvi plays the violin, writes poetry, and skateboards.
Yuang Sun | Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore
Yuang is a high school junior at Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore. As an enthusiast in neuroscience, global health, and medicine since very young, he aspires to pursue a biology-related major in college. Currently, Yuang is the leader of Project Synapses, which is a service learning project that aims to help cerebral palsy patients. He is also actively involved in the school's Biology Olympiad, First Aid Club, a neuroscientific research project that aims to assess cognitive workload by using electroencephalogram, and other extracurricular activities. In his free time, Yuang explores his interests and broadens his horizon by self-studying psychology. Other than the academic aspect, he also loves to read stories of SCP Foundation, watch soccer games, and read detective novels.
Akhila Swarna | Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
Akhila Swarna is a rising senior from Wildwood, Missouri who is passionate about global health, specifically cardiovascular health issues. As a youth advocate in her community and nationally, Akhila has researched the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women with the guidance of a mentor at a local university. At the moment, Akhila is working with nonprofits like the American Heart Association to increase awareness about cardiovascular health across the country and to create more opportunities for youth to learn about heart disease prevention. Besides research and activism, Akhila is involved in journalism as the Associate Editor-in-Chief of her school’s newspaper and hopes to continue contributing to the global health community.
Kosha Upadhyay | Bellevue High School, Bellevue, Washington, USA
Kosha is a rising junior from Bellevue, Washington. She was drawn to the fascinating world of computing and technology while conducting independent research. She aspires to make healthcare sustainable through the fusion of math, technology, and artificial intelligence. Her inventions to affect dementia are recognized internationally with awards from Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. At school, she helps run several clubs, including Machine learning and Programming. She firmly believes in giving back and uses the non-profit, Science For Community to initiate young minds into STEM learning. When free, she loves to travel, hike and capture nature’s intricacies with her camera. She intends to pursue a career in research with the hope to become an invaluable asset to society.
Namrata Venkatesan | Jesuit High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Namrata is a senior at Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon where is the Co-Founder and Co-President of her school’s HOSA - Future Health Professionals chapter, Co-Captain of the Science Olympiad team, Co-Captain of the History Bee & Bowl team, and part of The Pulse Health & Science Newsletter, and National Honor Society. She is interested in the intersection of medicine and policy, hoping to pursue the premed track in college.
Aditi Venkatesh | Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, Singapore
Aditi is a Year 4 student at Raffles Girls’s School (Secondary), with aspirations of pursuing studies in Medicine and Global Health. She is a co-founder of a youth advocacy group, Project Esprit, which aims to increase the mental health literacy of youth in Singapore, and is an active member of her school’s Model UN club, from which her passion for foreign policy stems. Alongside her leadership commitments, she enjoys baking, reading and volunteering at the National Library Board’s reading programme. She is particularly passionate about neurobiology and oncology, and is currently attending a course by the University of Chicago on the neuroscience of everyday life.
Aditya Venkatesh | Boston University Academy, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Aditya Venkatesh is a rising senior at Boston University Academy in Massachusetts who is interested in biological sciences and global health. Aditya is the leader of the Biology club and is the Secretariat of the yearly Model United Nations Conference that Boston University Academy hosts for middle school students around the world. Outside of school, he is an active volunteer who serves his community by volunteering at his local hospital. In his free time, Aditya likes to read and write short stories, play board games with his family, and take long walks in his local parks.
Amisha Vora | Raffles Secondary Girls’ School, Singapore
Amisha is Secondary 4 student at Raffles Girls' School (secondary). She aspires to pursue a career in the medical field, and is particularly passionate about reducing health inequity. In the future, she hopes to make medical treatment more accessible to financially-disadvantaged citizens. To further her passion in medicine, Amisha is part of her school's Biology olympiad team, and volunteers with the Red Cross. She is also a co-founder of a youth-lead advocacy group, Project Esprit, which aims to improve mental health literacy rates among students in Singapore. In her free time, Amisha enjoys learning new skills, volunteering in her community and painting.
Rhea Wanchoo | Osbourn Park Senior High School, Manassas, Virginia, USA
Rhea is an incoming freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, with prospective majors in Molecular and Cellular Biology: Neurobiology and Cognitive Science. Rhea is active in her peer mentorship platform, Go2Support, expanding chapters beyond Prince William County (PWC). Additionally, she represents her school on the Healthy Communities Healthy Youth and Code of Behavior Committees, revising county-wide health policies and relaying progress with administration. Rhea has also been a Girl Scout for over a decade, recently completing her Gold Award that tackled the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and informational disparities in global health guidelines. In her free time, she listens to all types of music and loves watching docu series like The Dropout.
Steven Wu | Camas High School, Camas, Washington, USA
Steven is a rising senior in the MST Magnet program at Camas High School in Washington State. His favorite subjects in school are math and history. Steven greatly enjoys designing, building, and launching model and high-power rockets. He is the founder and president of the Camas Rocketry Club and does rocketry activities with middle and elementary schools. He is a lead altar server for weekly Masses at church and is a summer youth group leader. Steven volunteers at the local senior living facility by playing the piano at their recitals and at the nearby wildlife refuge where he enjoys planting trees. In his free time, Steven enjoys listening to Mariners games on the radio and reading.
Angela Xiong | Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, California, USA
Angela is a rising senior at Mission San Jose High School passionate about pursuing a career in medicine and research. Angela is President of her high school’s Medical Club and Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B Awareness Club. She is also interested in journalism, working as a staff writer, Circulation Manager, Centerspread Editor of her school’s newspaper The Smoke Signal, and Editor-in-Chief of her school’s Art and Literary Magazine. In Angela’s free time, she enjoys reading, taking her dog Sesame out on walks, and trying new foods.
Jinyu Xu | Midwood High School, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Jinyu Xu is a rising Junior at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, NY and she has a great interest in pursuing research in Biomedical Engineering. At her school, she founded the first Public Health & Safety club and also takes part in the UNICEF club. Apart from school, she also founded and co-directs a youth forum, WEMSTEM- Women Empowerment in STEM, in which she strives to share opportunities and topics of interests to empower, inspire, and uplift girls from all over the world.
Jada Yang | La Canada High School, La Canada, California, USA
Jada Yang is a rising junior at La Canada High School in California. She has been a competitive debater for over 5 years and has held leadership roles in her student council, most recently elected to the Executive Board. Jada is also on the Student Advisory Board for the Los Angeles County Department of Education, where she got to lead media campaigns for COVID-19 protocols throughout Southern California schools. As someone who has grown up with a mobile disability, Jada is passionate about providing equal resource access to students with similar mobile disabilities. To that end, Jada founded a non-profit organization called, Mission for Mobility, which looks to empower the voices of disabled youth through awareness, compassion, and advocacy.
Samuel Yeboah-Manson | South Brunswick High School, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, USA
Samuel is a rising senior from New Jersey. He is passionate about public health and serves as the Vice-President of his school’s Students For Public Health Club where he has raised more than $1,000 to donate to an organization focused on preventing pediatric AIDS. He also enjoys learning about psychology and has recently begun an independent study research project where he aims to investigate the cognitive mechanisms that underlie certain racial prejudices and how such prejudices are translated into concrete actions. Independent from his academic interests, Samuel enjoys literature, running, and hanging out with friends and family. In the future, he hopes to provide accessible and quality mental health care for BIPOC communities
Lance Yeh | Troy High School, Fullerton, California, USA
Lance Yeh is a rising senior at Troy High School in Fullerton, California, with a strong interest in global health and biomedical engineering. These interests eventually led him to perform biomedical research and studies alongside clinical specialists at J&J and Abbott. Beyond research, he serves as an ambassador for cultural (FASCA) and scientific organizations (ACYS) and is President of his school's Botanical club and Team Captain of his School's Varsity Tennis team. He enjoys playing the violin, volunteering, and spending time with friends and family. In the future, he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of Biomedical Engineering to help provide an effective and meaningful solution to many of the problems that plague Global Health.
Sarah Yim | Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea
Sarah is a rising senior at Seoul International School hoping to pursue a major in global health or biology. Sarah has several research experiences, particularly in the fields of biology and environmental science, and is the executive of the science club, medical society, and the math club at her school. Outside of school, Sarah founded and is the president of Envi-sion, an environmental youth organization that engages others in environmentally-friendly activities and works with NGOs in developing nations to provide solutions for common problems such as crop disease management and acute malnutrition. In her free time, Sarah loves to play volleyball, sing, and watch K-dramas.
Jihu Yun | Chadwick International School, Incheon, South Korea
Jihu is a rising senior in Incheon, South Korea, and is interested in the fields of neuroscience and public health. He has participated in various national research paper competitions to present his research in ecology and sustainability. He is currently the leader and co-founder of his school’s biology research club, which created science packets for primary school students during the pandemic to develop their scientific interest at home. He enjoys jogging with his cross-country team in school and playing the viola. In the future, Jihu hopes to pursue a career in public health and continue to investigate medical technologies such as fMRI to address health issues in society.
