Baltimore Action Project Cohorts

My name is Hameenat Adekoya and I’m a first year MSPH student in the Health, Behavior, and Society Department studying Health Education and Health Communication. I graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2022 with a B.S. in Public Health Science. During my undergraduate degree, I started working at the Baltimore City Health Department as a community health worker and data manager, which allowed me to connect low income residents with social services. My goal is to study the psychosocial and political factors that contribute to poor health across communities and find the best ways to intervene, specifically through education, empowerment, and care coordination. I’m looking forward to working with Intersection of Change on their Strength to Love program as they work to improve food security in Baltimore City.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: Intersection of Change
• Project Title: "Strength To Love II: Increasing community access to fresh food"

Rachel Bervell is a full-time MPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a medical physician. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, she attended Harvard University for college and Georgetown University prior to attending medical school. At the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, she committed to partnering with others especially at their most vulnerable times and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society for her dedication; she was a scholar in both the Urban Medicine Program and Patient-Centered Medicine Program where her understanding of health systems helped empower underserved patients to take ownership of their wellbeing. She loves to mentor minority students and uses social media (Instagram: The Black ObGyn Project) to creatively educate on various health topics. She is thrilled to bring her passion for maternal & child health, reproductive justice, population health, and community engagement to Baltimore and to continue working with B'more for Healthy Babies as her Baltimore Action Project.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: B'more for Healthy Babies
• Project Title: "Referral and Connection to Care for High Risk Populations in Baltimore City"

My name is Gabriel Feuerstein-Mendik and I am a first year MSPH student in the department of Health, Behavior and Society. I'm originally from New York City and moved to Baltimore in 2018. I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May 2022 with a degree in Public Health Studies, as well as minors in Philosophy and Economics. Most of my past work has consisted of medical research in community hospital settings and qualitative research in various subjects in public health. I'm incredibly excited to be a part of the Baltimore Action Project and to see the work my peers create over the next year!

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: House of Ruth Maryland
• Project Title: "Abuse Intervention Program Research Support"

My name is Krysten Garcia. I grew up in New York and completed my undergraduate degree at Hopkins in Behavioral Biology and Psychology. Since graduating, I have worked as a research assistant at a substance use treatment clinic in Baltimore. My love for working with data and with people in the community inspired me to continue my education at Hopkins and pursue a career in Public Health. My goal is to bridge the gaps between research, the community and policy to promote social and economic equity. In doing so, I believe we can have communities that are safe, healthy and thriving. I am especially interested in policy around violence prevention, criminal justice and the built environment. In my free time, I enjoy reading, crocheting, watching movies and spending time outdoors hiking and biking.  

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: Turnaround
• Project Title: "Using Data to Inform Sexual/Intimate Partner Violence Service Delivery and Public Policy

Nada Kaissieh received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Louisville with a minor in Chinese. While working at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, she took on a role in improving and providing mental health access to youth in vulnerable and underserved populations. With her experience engaging with public health issues surrounding mental health and advocating at the legislative level for access to quality healthcare, she developed an interest in approaching public health issues to better the lives of community members in Baltimore. In her free time, Nada loves using her film camera, reading scientific literature, and podcasting.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: IBR-REACH Health Services
• Project Title: "SPARC: Stigma Reduction, Promoting Awareness, Reducing Overdose, Community Engagement"

Katie Nelson, MSN, RN is a PhD Candidate in her fourth year at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has clinical expertise in inpatient and community-based hospice and palliative care.  Her research focuses on supportive care needs among Indigenous patients and families experiencing serious illness in high-risk, reservation-based settings. Her work involves the use of Indigenous and community-based participatory research methodologies to develop innovative solutions to complex health challenges from a social justice and health equity lens. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health. She earned her Master’s of Science in Nursing degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She has worked on local, national, and international project teams, fostering multidisciplinary and multicultural collaborations to improve quality of life for all patients and families experiencing serious illness. 

• Working Group: Environmental Challenges
• Community Partner: Green and Health Homes Initiative
• Project Title: "Green & Healthy Homes Initiative’s Work at the Intersection of Climate, Housing, Energy and Health"

Hi, my name is Monique Parker (she/her) but I also go by Mo. I was born and raised here in Baltimore City and after attending UMD College Park for my Bachelors of Science in Behavioral and Community Health, I joined Peace Corps Zambia as a Maternal and Child Health Volunteer. Now I am in my second to last semester of nursing school where I hope to continue working as an RN after graduation on my Oncology-Telemetry unit at GBMC. For fun, I like solo traveling, teaching fitness and swim classes at different YMCAs across Baltimore and hiking with my dogs.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: New Song Community Learning Center
• Project Title: "Eat 2 Thrive"

Preetam Reddy is a full-time MPH student at Bloomberg School of Public Health studying Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research, and learning to design, conduct and analyse clinical trials. He is a medical doctor from South-India with extensive experience in treating patients in low-resource primary healthcare settings and has interests in infectious diseases, gastroenterology, child and adolescent health. As a medical student, he conducted research with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on anemia in adolescent school girls. Outside of medicine, he was an active volunteer and community organiser working with schools and hospitals. He has experience in running and digitising a 1100-student school and serves as treasurer for Child Health Society at Hopkins. He is passionate about domestic violence, Intimate partner violence and how it affects children. He hopes to learn about health disparities in populations and bring multi-sector collaboration and systems approaches to deal with them.

He envisions building a better, user-centered healthcare system where individuals and families can best benefit from integration of clinical medicine, public health and business worlds.

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: Men and Families Center
• Project Title: "The Egbe Akokonrin Rites of Passage Program"

My name is Siyao Zhang, and I am a Master of Health Science (MHS) student in the Department of Epidemiology. I received my BS in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Jan 2022, along with a minor in Statistics. I am interested in the intersection of data science and public health, varying from user-centered design for health information systems to statistical modeling. I am also interested in the use of health technology as a tool for the promotion of healthcare and social justice. I am excited to work on Baltimore Action Project with Elev8 Baltimore to gain hands-on experience in health information systems and make a difference in the community. He envisions building a better, user-centered healthcare system where individuals and families can best benefit from integration of clinical medicine, public health and business worlds.

• Working Group: Evidence
• Community Partner: Elev8 Baltimore
• Project Title: "Data Collection Processes"

Ade Ayoola is a full-time MPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Stanford medical student in between her third and fourth year. While studying biological chemistry at the University of Chicago, she started exploring social issues surrounding the ability to lead a healthy life and determinants of health through projects in Chicago and Nigeria. She is interested in building stronger, healthier communities through collaborative, multi-sectorial work with communities, healthcare systems, and policy. Therefore, she will be concentrating on health systems and policy while working on her Baltimore Action Project. Following the MPH degree, she plans to apply into a combined internal medicine and pediatrics program, focusing on primary care or hematology/oncology.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: B'more for Healthy Babies
• Project Title: "Strategic Community Outreach for WIC"

My name is Annie Brown and I am a first year MSPH candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Health Management. I graduated from the University of Washington in June of 2019 with BA in Public Health-Global Health. Prior to moving to Baltimore, I spent a few years working in a domestic violence shelter as a community health advocate for survivors of gender-based violence. This work was incredibly impactful and allowed me to better understand the need for well-funded and accessible social services. I am passionate about health equity and reducing barriers to support services.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: Cornerstone Community Housing, Inc.
• Project Title: "When Recovery Becomes a Barrier to Housing"

My name is Lauren Brown, and I am pursuing a dual MPH/MSW degree at John Hopkins University and University of Maryland. I am concentrating in the Global Environmental Sustainability and Health as the nexus between environmental work and health is one of my passions. I am also interested in environmental and social justice, mental health, and social/behavioral sciences. In undergraduate, I did a dual degree in Environmental Policy and Psychology. Since graduating, I have worked for Delegate Pena Melnyk (Chair of the Public Health committee in the Maryland House of Delegates), Neighborhood Sun, and the Audubon Naturalist Society. I’ve also been a part of the Montgomery Climate Work Group and advocacy team for Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Sierra Club. I serve on the board of Conservation Montgomery and Dream Catcher Meadows. You will find me hiking on a nature trail, forest bathing, dancing, or spending time with friends.  

• Working Group: Environmental Challenges
• Community Partner: Green and Healthy Homes Initiative
• Project Title: "Healthy Housing Workforce Development Storytelling and Solutions"

My name is Yoyo, and I am a Master of Science in public health (MSPH) student in the Department of population, family, and reproductive health focusing on maternal and child health. I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2020, where I studied bioengineering and computer science. After graduation, I worked as a consultant for one year in San Francisco serving the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science sectors. During my undergraduate years, I enjoyed working with local communities in Baltimore and served as a fellow for the Baltimore Collegetown Network by designing programs that improve nutrition and exercise habits for families in Central Baltimore. I have also volunteered extensively overseas in Indonesia and China bettering health education among youths in underrepresented neighborhoods. I am passionate about improving health outcomes for children and families, particularly through the lens of food justice and chronic disabilities.  

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: EndsideOut, Inc.
• Project Title: "Structural Barriers to Nutritional Attainment"

Dawnyshia Griffin (she/her) is in her first semester of Johns Hopkins Master of Science in Nursing Entry into Practice program. She graduated from the College of William and Mary and the University of St. Andrews with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with International Honors. Dawnyshia subsequently volunteered as an online crisis counselor and English teacher to speakers of other languages and worked as a behavioral health technician in rehabilitation and psychiatric facilities. Dawnyshia’s passion is to make sustainable social progress. She finds that nursing brings together both her professional ambitions to address social issues on a large scale, and her personal passion to help individuals heal and live their life to the fullest extent. Dawnyshia is excited to be a Project PLASE student leader because it draws on several areas that Dawnyshia is particularly passionate about: mental well-being, addiction management, and social justice. In her free time, you can find Dawnyshia playing rugby, rock climbing, or watching copious amounts of a good television show.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: Project PLASE
• Project Title: "Mental Illness and Addiction"

Hello! My name is Jagruti Kolla and I'm a first-year MSPH student in healthpolicy. I'm originally from the Bay Area in California and I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara this summer of 2021 with a degree in biology! Some of my interests include reproductive justice, contraception access in communities of color, substance abuse, and overdose prevention. I am very excited to be a part of the Baltimore Action Project and hope to learn more about Baltimore and engage with the local community!

• Working Group: Evidence
• Community Partner: The Family Recovery Program
• Project Title: "Parents in Recovery Together - Understanding the Impact of Supportive Housing on Families in Recovery"

My name is Alex Pinsk, and I am a first-year master’s student at Johns Hopkins, studying public health, in the Health, Behavior, and Society department. Prior to enrolling at Hopkins, I received my BA in Classical Languages and Government from Franklin & Marshall College and subsequently worked with AmeriCorps in Washington, DC. My study and research interests now are in health promotion and infectious disease—primarily in urban areas, within minority groups, and in multigenerational homes and communities. I’m excited to work on this Baltimore Action Project with the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative to continue to address health disparities and advocate for greater equity.  

When I’m not studying or working, I love camping and backpacking and spending time in coffee shops. I’m also a part of a local kickball and field hockey league here in Baltimore!

• Working Group: Environmental Challenges
• Community Partner: Green and Health Homes Initiative
• Project Title: "GHHI Asthma Program III"

Hello! My name is Mahima Sindhu, and I am a first-year MSPH Health Policy student who is deeply interested in projects reforming health and social systems/practices that disproportionately affect women and children. I received my BA in communication and rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh in May 2021, along with a minor in applied statistics and two certificates in global health and managing health services programs and projects. Aside from school, I spent my undergraduate career involved in a variety of public health and equity work through roles in research, education, wellness committees, and community outreach initiatives.
 
This summer, I served as a Child Welfare Research and Communications Associate at the Support Center for Child Advocates where I developed robust educational materials supporting initiatives to end child sex and labor trafficking. Now, I work as a Women’s Health Intern at Community Catalyst, performing programmatic work that addresses a variety of issues specific to reproductive and maternal health.
 
I am excited to be furthering my passion in family health this year through working with The Family Tree on projects aimed at mitigating adverse childhood experiences!

• Working Group: Risks to Adolescent Health
• Community Partner: The Family Tree
• Project Title: "Adverse Childhood Experience Coalition"

Annie Qing is a full-time MPH student at JHSPH, graduating in 2022. She attended UCLA for her undergraduate degree, where she studied immunology and global health, with a particular emphasis on HIV treatment and prevention. Post-graduation, she worked as a case manager for chronically homeless individuals in San Francisco, providing wraparound services to support clients' complex journeys to permanent housing. Annie is passionate about community-based advocacy and is excited to be a part of a team that is working to promote food security in Baltimore!

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: Intersection of Change - Strength to Love II
• Project Title: "Monroe Street Market at Strength to Love II"

Hello! My name is Autumn Diggs, and I’m presently a first semester student in the MSN program at Johns Hopkins. I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2019, where I studied psychology and Native American studies. I’m passionate about Black and Indigenous radical politics and prefiguring a world that marginalized people can fully inhabit— a world without the presence of oppressive, violent institutions. I hope to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner to have autonomy in my practice as a means to end the disparities people of color and other marginalized groups face in healthcare; practice Black and Indigenous values, and care for a diverse patient population regardless of income. I am excited to be attending Hopkins for my MSN degree and especially grateful for this opportunity to work with House of Ruth and serve the Baltimore community.  

• Working Group: Equity
• Community Partner: House of Ruth, Maryland
• Project Title: "Support Racial Equity at a Domestic Violence Organization"

Cora is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student in the Family Nurse Practitioner track, graduating in 2021. She is currently working as an oncology and palliative inpatient RN. Particular interests for her future NP practice include psychiatric nursing as primary care, including supporting people working through substance use and palliative care--all through a public health lens. She is incredibly excited to be working with the Southeast Community Development Corporation on this project and is looking forward to actively bringing lessons learned into her future career.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: Southeast Community Development Corporation
• Project Title: "Improving Access to Resources for Sex Worker Communities in Southeast and South Baltimore"

I am from the New York City area, and I attended Villanova University where I earned a B.S. in Biology. During my final year at Villanova University, I wrote my senior thesis on the public health topic of HPV among college students. This thesis allowed me to begin to explore my interest in the field of public health, and I subsequently decided to pursue a Master of Health Science at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  In this program, I am continuing to grow my passion for the field of public health and develop skills that I can take with me for the rest of my career in the healthcare field.  I am eager to form connections within the Baltimore community and contribute to the Greater Baybrook Alliance’s Violence Reduction Program.  

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: Greater Baybrook Alliance, Inc.
• Project Title: "Understanding the Impact of Violence on Latinx and Immigrant Communities in the Greater Baybrook Neighborhoods"

My name is Chase Maselka and I am a first-year student of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing pursuing my Master of Science in Nursing. I recently graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in May 2020, with my degree in English literature and language, and a minor in Spanish language, and business. During my time at the University of Maryland, I enjoyed working with the local communities in Prince George's County as an intern for the Writing for Change Program and as a mentorship partner with local Girl Scout troops. I also developed my own student organization, which aimed to facilitate a community-wide awareness of social issues relating to equitable access to women's healthcare in developing nations, and the benefit of educationally centered public health initiatives.

 As a native Maryland resident, it has been exciting to further explore the communities of East Baltimore and its surrounding areas. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work as a partner with SOURCE to learn how to serve as an effective community advocate. I believe that through initiatives such as SOURCE, we are better able to address historical health inequities, participate in meaningful community activism, and cultivate lasting relationships with different community stakeholders. 

• Working Group: Risks to Adolescent Health
• Community Partner: Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation, Inc.
• Project Title: "Career Choices and Changes"

Born and raised in Laurel, MD, Anthony Nicome is a Master of Health Science (MHS) student in the Department of Environmental Health & Engineering. Prior to beginning the MHS program, Anthony was a Diversity Summer Internship Program (DSIP) intern and Research Fellow at the Bloomberg School, and served as a CDC CUPS Scholar at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill-Center for Health Equity Research. In addition, he served at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Region 6 and Region 2, where he primarily implemented the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act by working on projects focused on emergency response, disaster mitigation, and drinking water/wastewater compliance. Anthony led the Region 2 Emergency Response Water Team and was a member of the EPA Office of Water COVID-19 workgroup. Anthony is interested in understanding the impacts of “place” and “space” on health and is passionate about ensuring that all people, regardless of race and/or socioeconomic status, are able to access nutritious foods and live in a clean and healthy environment. He is eager to begin working with the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative to help ensure food secure communities and an equitable food system in Baltimore.   

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: Baltimore Food Policy Initiative
• Project Title: "Planning for Food Equity and Resiliency in Response to COVID-19"

Sophia Strickland is a first-year MSPH student in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in public health and sociology from Johns Hopkins in May 2020, where she competed on the Varsity Women's tennis team. She is originally from outside Atlanta, GA, and her career interests include improving health outcomes for children and families in the United States and health insurance. 

• Working Group: Environmental Challenges
• Community Partner: Green and Healthy Homes Initiative
• Project Title: "Climate, Energy and Health Intern"

I am currently obtaining my Masters of Applied Science in Spatial Analysis for Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Shippensburg University in Geoenvironmental Sciences with a minor in Sustainability and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I work at an In Vitro Toxicology lab, in which we are dedicated to advancing non-animal testing methods. I am looking forward to gaining hands-on experience in the field of public health and I am very excited to be working with a Baltimore Action Project to make a difference in the community. 

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: Greater Baybrook Alliance, Inc.
• Project Title: "Collective Efficacy Survey Design and Implementation in the Greater Baybrook Neighborhoods"

I am a fourth year medical student from Kansas University. I have been fortunate enough to take a year off of medical school to pursue a Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins. During my year in Baltimore I not only wish to graduate with a masters in epidemiology and biostatistics, but I also wish to get to know the city and engage with members of the community. I am excited on what is to come!

• Working Group: Violence
• Community Partner: House of Ruth, Maryland
• Project Title: "Men Greater Than Violence"

I was born and raised in the metro-Detroit area. I am the daughter of two immigrant parents, from Poland and Bulgaria, and take a lot of pride in my mixed heritage. I attended the University of Michigan where I studied psychology and applied statistics. Following graduation, I accepted a position at Change Healthcare, a healthcare technology company, and was part of a 2-year rotation program. Every 6 months, I moved to a new city to work in a new part of the company. I started in Nashville, TN, then moved to Vancouver, BC, Chicago, IL, and lastly, San Francisco, CA. Following the program, I made the big move to Baltimore, MD and started working towards my Masters of Health Administration at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In these past two years, I have been a part of many different communities across the country. I am grateful to now be in Baltimore, and have the opportunity to play my part in bettering the lives of community members.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: Child First Authority, Inc.
• Project Title: "Healthy Food For All"

Born and rooted in southern Wyoming. After spending one year of high school in a rural French southern town with a host family, I fell in love with learning in a foreign environment. I came back to Wyoming to major in French and microbiology while spending time in the interim traveling and picking up the passion for seeing the world and learning about the world from immersing myself with the people and languages around me. I came into nursing as an accelerated career path into working with diverse communities in health literacy and education. One of my passions growing in nursing school is mental health among adolescents, aging adults and postpartum mothers. After one year of living in Baltimore, I have grown to love running through the city, participating in neighborhood festivals, cooking and sharing food, and also love to bike and camp whenever possible.

I am a learner and soon a learning nurse who will share time and space with patients and caregivers during times of illness and pain. My hope as a team member with Clay Pots...A Place to Grow through this Baltimore Action Project is to be involved in a larger network of working leaders in Baltimore.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: Clay Pots...A Place to Grow
• Project Title: "Opioid Risk Management and Training"

I am a physician-scientist working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research program. My research is jointly supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the NIH Center on Compulsive Behaviors (CCB). My main research interests include: understanding the neurobiology of mental health illnesses, with a particular focus on alcohol and other substance use disorders; identifying novel druggable targets, through a combination of pharmacological, behavioral, genetic, and neuroimaging methods, to treat addictive disorders; and investigating the bio-behavioral correlates of health disparity and minority health in relation to mental health. I received my M.D. from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH, and I am currently a part-time MPH student at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

• Working Group: Evidence
• Community Partner: Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition
• Project Title: "Harm Reduction Services and Advocacy Data Analysis"

I am from Los Angeles, CA, and the past four years I attended Boston University to earn my B.S. in Health Science. I am currently in the Bloomberg School of Public Health studying for a Masters in Health Administration (MHA). I am extremely passionate about community outreach and wish to merge this interest with healthcare by working on population health efforts in the future. When I'm not focused on school, some of my hobbies include baseball, surfing, and woodworking.

• Working Group: Risks to Adolescent Health
• Community Partner: Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation, Inc.
• Project Title: "Engaging Youth in Sports"

I graduated in May 2018 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in global studies. Since then, I moved to DC to work at a national Maternal and Child Health organization, where I became heavily involved in my local community through tutoring and mentoring young adults. My experience in Morocco – teaching English to women – has grown my communication and instruction capabilities. I also bring a solid background in student leadership, having served as a study abroad advisor and a resident advisor. I am excited for my future with SOURCE via Banner Neighborhoods as I begin my MSPH degree at Johns Hopkins.

• Working Group: Risks to Adolescent Health
• Community Partner: Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation, Inc.
• Project Title: "Banner Neighborhoods JumpStart Success

I am an Administrative Coordinator in the Department of Epidemiology, Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology track. I am currently enrolled as a student in the Food Systems Certificate program, and hope to pursue a Masters Degree in Public Health. I served for three years with AmeriCorps, a governmental national service program, completing projects across the states including building houses with Habitat for Humanity, providing disaster relief to areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike, and in my third year, I founded a local community farmers market in rural Globe, Arizona. I have a Masters degree in Public Administration, with a focus on Nonprofit Management, Government and Finance.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: Civic Works
• Project Title: "Solving Food Distribution in Baltimore"

I am an MHS student in the department of Mental Health in the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. I have a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and I am a licensed counselor in the state of Maryland. I am interested in historical and intergenerational trauma in African American communities and trauma informed intervention and prevention treatments to improve mental health outcomes.

• Working Group: Addiction and Overdose
• Community Partner: The Family Recovery Program
• Project Title: "Parents in Recovery Together - The PIRT Program"

I am an MSPH candidate in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2019, where I received a B.A. in English Writing, History, and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. My academic interests include combining scholarship within the humanities and the sciences in public health practice and using interdisciplinary approaches in addressing violence prevention and access to care within marginalized communities. During my undergraduate career in Pittsburgh, I was a community organizer, continuously pushing for intersectional approaches

relating to issues about women, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and intimate partner violence outside of the classroom through campus and city-wide activism. I worked on creating safe spaces for healing and inclusive discussion environments, serving on many campus organization boards and working with prominent Pittsburgh activists to center and serve marginalized communities. Additionally, I received two funded fellowships to study intimate partner violence within marginalized communities, while regularly volunteering at Planned Parenthood and at a local women's hospital. I view my academic interests and extracurricular interests as complementary, ultimately striving to have a career where I can integrate my experiences as a community organizer and in academia to push for progressive local and state policies.

• Working Group: Equity
• Community Partner: FreeState Justice
• Project Title: "Pro Se Resources Project for Trans and Gender Expansive People"

I am a first year ScM student in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I am passionate about teaching, research, and volunteering, and I ultimately hope to join academia and work in the field of Vaccine Development. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, and looking at pictures of precious puppies.

• Working Group: Obesity and the Food System
• Community Partner: House of Ruth, Maryland
• Project Title: "Addressing Food Insecurity of Intimate Partner Violence Victims"