I am a first-generation, Ghanaian American, born and raised in Northern Virginia. I attended Virginia Tech and majored in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. There, I became passionate about the field of public health and health disparities, through my major and research with the Translational Obesity Behavioral Research Lab. As part of the lab, I planned, implemented and evaluated an 8-week, group dynamics-based healthy lifestyle program for racial minority students at my institution. These experiences led me to pursue my MPH at George Washington University during my gap year to learn more about attaining health equity, social determinants of health and program planning and evaluation. I then attended Rowan SOM for medical school where my love for primary care and preventive medicine grew. I was fortunate to serve as a leader in initiatives and clubs that aimed to address racial health disparities and support marginalized communities like SNMA, and co-founded IMPACT Week and The Black Collective. I was also a research intern at the Neuromusculoskeletal Institute at Rowan, where I was able to develop CME’s and toolkits as part of initiatives to reduce opioid overdose deaths in South Jersey.
I spent a month at MedStar Franklin Square as a 4th year student and I am so ecstatic to return to serve the community and learn from the amazing faculty, residents, and patients. The combined program was an ideal fit for me because it will provide me with opportunities to strengthen my knowledge and skills to improve the health of marginalized communities. As a person who stutters, I am also passionate about improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities.
In my free time, you can find me watching sports and rooting for my DC teams, playing basketball, listening to music, trying plant-based restaurants, and going to amusement parks.