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SOURCE Student Governing Board

Students from each of the three health professional schools (Bloomberg School of Public Health, Nursing, and Medicine) serve on SOURCE's Governing Board.

Students give vital feedback regarding meetings, activities and events that SOURCE sponsors and co-sponsors. SOURCE's Student Governing Board works to increase the visibility of community engagement and service-learning on the health professional campus by encouraging other students to utilize SOURCE and its resources, as well as to spread the word regarding various service-based student groups in East Baltimore.

Application periods are open at the start of the academic year for students in each of the three health professional schools, as well as for incoming Nursing students starting in the spring. Students who are interested in applying for the Student Governing Board must:

 

2023-2024 SOURCE Student Governing Board

Meet our team of students from the Schools of Public Health, Nursing and Medicine who are currently serving as representatives on SOURCE's Student Governing Board during the 2023-2024 academic year!

BSPH Representatives

Nathalie Akbari

Hello! My name is Nathalie and I am a first-year MSPH student in the HBS department, studying Health Education and Communication. I just graduated from Hopkins undergrad with a major in Public Health and a minor in Psychology, and I’m from Cambridge, Massachusetts. In my free time, I love hiking, journaling, and doing crossword puzzles!

In my undergraduate career, I was a Peer Health Educator with the JHU Office of Health Promotion and Wellbeing, where I developed and implemented events and social media campaigns to promote student wellbeing across Hopkins. I also was able to engage with multiple Baltimore CBOs, including Art with a Heart, Baltimore CONNECT, and Living Classrooms. I am excited to continue this engagement with SOURCE, and learn more about the many different organizations and how partnerships are formed between them, our institution and students.

Profile photo of Melanie Bolden.

Melanie Bolden

Hi everyone! My name is Melanie Bolden, and I am a DrPH student in the Environmental Health track and work as a Risk Manager with the EPA. I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, born and raised. After Hurricane Katrina, my family and I were relocated to Arkansas, where I finished high school and earned a BS in Biology from the University of Arkansas (Woo Pig Sooie!). I then had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Master's International program, which allowed participants to combined Peace Corps service with a master's degree program. I served as a Community Health Specialist in Mozambique and completed my MPH at SUNY-Albany in 2016. I am very excited to support the 2021-2022 Baltimore Community Practicum course as a Teaching Assistant. 

Olivia Coffey

Hello! My name is Olivia and I am a first year MSPH student in the department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health. My area focus is specifically on women's, sexual, and reproductive health.  I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana before I did my undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While in Wisconsin I majored in global health and biology and volunteered as a community resource navigator at local health clinics. I'm passionate about grass roots and community level public health initiatives and programs. I believe partnerships with community members is key for public health success! 

Sarah Cole

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Cole and I am a full-time MHS student in the department of mental health. Though originally from Nashville, TN, I recently moved from St. Louis, MO where I worked as a staff research assistant and study coordinator in a neuroscience research lab at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine studying the impact of parental divorce and separation on the neurodevelopment of pre-school aged children. I have additionally worked as a crisis counselor with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and my research interests here at Johns Hopkins are specifically in injury and violence prevention. I believe community engagement is a vital part of public health and I am very grateful to be a part of the Baltimore community. I am really excited to get the chance to serve on the SOURCE Student Governing Board and I look forward to being part of the community building process. 

 

Stéphie-Anne Dulièpre

Stéphie-Anne Dulièpre, DVM is a current full-time MPH student at the Bloomberg School of Public Health focusing on Environmental (In)Justice.  Stephie was born in Queens, NY but has grown up in Haiti for most of her formative years before returning to the United States. Stephie is the daughter of an architect and almost became one herself before deciding to pursue Veterinary Medicine.  She graduated from the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, after which she worked simultaneously as Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian with the US Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania, and as a small animal practitioner in Baltimore, Maryland.  Outside of school Stephie, serves as Shelter Veterinarian at the Maryland SPCA in a medical and surgical capacity, and occasionally offers low-cost veterinary clinics to the local community.  Stephie is passionate about anything involving equity, justice, anti-racism, conservation medicine, equitable environmental preservation, built environments, and uplifting under-represented and under-resourced communities.  When she is not working or advocating for the community, Stephie can be found hiking, leisurely walking, hosting her friends, or enjoying an outdoor festival when the weather is nice.

Lincoln Hopkins

Hi everyone! My name is Lincoln and I am a full-time MPH student. I am originally from the West Coast and am interested in studying Infectious Diseases and Prevention, the Microbiome, and Biostatistics. Prior to Hopkins I worked in a vaccine and virology lab and ran data analyses on microbiome data.

I am so excited to be a part of SOURCE and to help facilitate getting other students involved both in SOURCE and in the community as I feel being involved in communities not only helps students but improves understanding and public health as a whole.

Safa Khatoon

Hello everyone! My name is Safa and I am a first-year Master of Health Administration student. I am originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota where I received a degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Prior to moving to Baltimore, I worked as a research coordinator at the Minneapolis VA. 

I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with SOURCE! I have a passion for service and connecting with the community, so I am eager to engage with everyone while working on some amazing projects. 

Ayush Kumar

Hey! My name is Ayush Kumar (he/him/his) and I'm a full-time MPH student at the Bloomberg School of Public Health concentrating in Infectious Diseases and aiming for a certificate in Community-Based Public Health. Before starting at BSPH, I was 3 years into a 4-year MD program at UCSF School of Medicine. My areas of interest include harm reduction, LGBTQIA+ health, houselessness, and disability rights and justice. I aspire to be an infectious disease physician promoting health equity and providing care for underserved urban communities, with the ultimate goal of uplifting and empowering as many of their lives as possible through healthcare and advocacy. I'm excited to have the opportunity to be here, to share my passion for community with my peers, and work with some amazing community-based organizations to see their visions for Baltimore come together!

Abigail Lofton

Hi everyone! My name is Abigail (Abby) Lofton (she/hers) and I am a fulltime MHS student in Environmental Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. I am from outside Philadelphia and went to Muhlenberg College for my degree in Environmental Science and Public Health. I have previously done research looking at the impact of PM2.5 from major road intersections on lung health as well as another project looking at the impacts of salting the roads for snow on aquatic isopods in freshwater as indicator species. I was also involved with our Office of Community Engagement where I was a part of the service honors program as well as being a volunteer coordinator for a project focusing on teaching elementary school students about college and beginning the career thought process. I am excited to be a part of SOURCE and to serve on the governing board and make meaningful differences in our communities.

Ali Aahil Noorali

Hello, fellow Hopkins community members! I'm Ali Aahil Noorali, an MPH/MBA candidate here at Johns Hopkins. Hailing from Karachi, Pakistan—a sprawling metropolis of 25 million—I bring with me a mosaic of experiences deeply rooted in medicine and public health. My journey started at a leading 700-bed tertiary care hospital in Karachi, which catered to both the bustling city and remote rural areas. As I worked with communities back in Pakistan, I also learnt volumes from them: that dard (pain) had many more meanings than the ones taught in medicine, that inaccessibility to quality healthcare was often an overlooked, misunderstood, and undefined risk factor in disease progression, and that equity was an indelible foundation to building and bolstering health systems.

Drawing on this foundation, I co-founded a national COVID-19 student task force of 800 members in my final year. Simultaneously, I collaborated with the Government of Pakistan on a rapid-scaling critical care initiative supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During medical school, I also spent a summer in Tanzania, East Africa, where I appreciated the captivating footprint that geography had on disease burden and disparities in outcomes. Tanzania made one thing distinctly clear: I knew that my future desire to train in chronic, non-communicable, cardiovascular diseases would need to be anchored to community service. With this mission and guiding ethos in hand, I aspire to catalyze transformative change within our Baltimore community through SOURCE.

SON Representatives

Alyssa Apilado

Hello! My name is Alyssa and I am a full-time MSN student in the Pre-Licensure Entry Program to Nursing. I use she/her pronouns. I am Asian American with Filipino and Chinese roots. I was born and raised in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. I attended University of California, Riverside, where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience.  

Away from Nursing, I can be found trying to find hidden food treasures within the city. I believe you need good food and good company for your soul. I try to spend my spare time cooking, finding good restaurants, and spending time with myself or with friends. I am passionate about mental health and holistic health.  

Prior to JHU, I worked for 2 years as the Hyperbaric Safety Officer at the Stanford Medicine Advanced Wound Care Center. I learned that there are many circumstances that affect a person’s health and not all of them are within their control. I think that with the right resources and guidance, everyone has the ability to achieve their personal goals and purpose. A community is where those resources and connections can be found and creates a strong foundation for a sense of belonging.  

As healthcare providers, the engagement with the community is extremely important in understanding the population we are serving, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with the Baltimore community. I am honored to serve on the SOURCE Student Governing Board and honored to work on building the community’s relationships with our perspective programs.  

Kerlie Jean Baptiste

Hello, I'm Kerlie Jean Baptiste, a passionate traveler and food enthusiast hailing from the vibrant city of New York. I have a deep appreciation for exploring new places, cultures, and cuisines, which has fueled my wanderlust over the years.

When I'm not lost in the pages of a book, you'll often find me on the trails, hiking boots laced up and ready to embark on adventures in the great outdoors. Nature has a unique way of grounding me and providing a sense of serenity that I truly treasure.

One of my most significant aspirations is to change the preconceived notions that people may have when coming to Baltimore, for I know I am guilty but I always knew there is more to this city. I believe in the power of community and connection to transform perceptions. My goal is for everyone to truly get to know Baltimore, its vibrant culture, and, most importantly, the incredible people who make up our community.

Through my love for working with children and my commitment to nurturing young minds, I aim to inspire the next generation to appreciate the beauty and diversity of our city. 

Over the next months and beyond, I look forward to working together with like-minded individuals to create positive change and strengthen the bonds that make our community so special.

Bailey Hayes

Hello! My name is Bailey Hayes and I am a first semester MSN student at the School of Nursing. I just graduated from the University of Washington-Seattle (Go Dawgs!) with a Bachelors Degree in Medical Anthropology/Global Health and a minor in Diversity. I am from Tri-Cities, WA and in my free time I love to run, try new food recommendations, and watch reality TV. I am also the cohort representative for the Student Nurses Association at Johns Hopkins SON. 

In my undergraduate career, I was the Director of Administration for Greeks Take Action which is a club that brings awareness to sexual assault and rape within the community at the UW. I also was a peer facilitator for Biology so I was able to lead dissections and answer any questions students might have about the material being presented to them. Lastly, I was part of a sorority and we fundraised money throughout the year for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness so we could donate it to a charity of our choosing at the end of the year. 

I am very excited to be a part of the SOURCE student governing board because it will help me to continue to engage with my community and learn more about the various organizations that are available to partner with in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. This opportunity will allow me to expand my knowledge of the community I am now a part of and allow me to spread knowledge about SOURCE to people I encounter. 

Emma Jagasia

My name is Emma Jagasia, and I am a Fourth year DNP PhD student in the School of Nursing. I previously received my MPH from Bloomberg School of Public Health and my MSN from the School of Nursing and my BSN from the University of South Florida in Tampa. I have been a nurse for 7 years. I started my career in pediatric critical care, transitioned to community health nursing working with Survivors of Domestic Violence. I am originally from East Tennessee. Fun fact- I went to the same high school as Dolly Parton (many years apart). I have two beautiful pups: Libby Lou and Maeberry and a wonderful partner. I love to spend as much time as I can outside.   

I feel like the best way to explore a new city is to get to know the people who live there. When I moved to Baltimore in 2018, I try to become as engaged as I could to learn as much I could about my new home. I fell in love with the Beautiful City, the resilience residents, and am continually inspired by the innovative work happening in our City. Excited to share my love and collaborate with you all!   

SOM Representatives

Ria Arora

Hi everyone! My name is Ria Arora, and I’m a first-year medical student. I’m originally from Northern California but moved to Baltimore in 2018 to attend undergrad at Hopkins. While there as a college student, my most formative experiences involved building trust-based relationships to deliver care where it is needed most. My time serving Baltimore communities allowed me to not only gain a greater appreciation for the city, but also understand how to implement service from a community-centered perspective. After four years, I grew to treasure the relationships I had built, and I became part of a thriving ecosystem. In returning to Baltimore as a medical student, it is incredibly rewarding to be able to create longitudinal change within a community I am fortunate to call home. As part of the SOURCE Governing Board, I look forward to building equitable, reciprocal community partnerships that nurture the very community we reside in. When I’m not advocating for health equity, I enjoy listening to live music, cooking something impractical, or lighting scented candles while studying (lavender is my favorite!). I’m honored to represent SOURCE and carry forward its mission.

Profile photo of Aaron Bao.

Aaron Bao

Hi, everyone! My name is Aaron Bao, a first-year medical student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I attended Washington University in St. Louis for college. At WashU, I was a apart of Medicine and Society, a 4-year anthropology program focusing on culture, healthcare, and policy. Shaped by my coursework, I turned to medicine to explore and advocate equity, where access can often be the differentiating factor between well-being and illness. Through this, I performed fieldwork studying the healthcare perspectives of Chinese immigrants, shaping an interest in the sociocultural perspectives of medicine.  

Drawing on the core tenets of SOURCE – reciprocity, justice, service, and collaboration, I’m excited by not only the privilege to enact tangible impact within a historied local community, but also the opportunity to create this change by bridging different worldviews, upbringings, and perspectives. 

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Eojin Choi

My name is Jin Choi, and I am a second-year medical student here at Hopkins. I was born in Korea and raised in Southern California, though my family currently lives in Boston. 

After high school, I moved to Providence to attend Brown University, where I studied neuroscience and STS (Science, Technology, and Society). In college, I worked as a hospice volunteer and became involved with various programs at the Swearer Center for Public Service, including the Social Innovation Fellowship and the Student Advisory Committee. After doing research in Poland for my first gap year, I returned to Providence and worked as a Social Medicine VISTA at the Rhode Island Hospital Center for Primary Care. In this position, I worked closely with community health workers to address patients’ social and structural determinants of health, especially related to housing, transportation, and incarceration. 

While I am still relatively new to Baltimore, I’ve enjoyed living here so far and hope to get to know some of the communities here better through SOURCE. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the SOURCE Student Governing Board and look forward to working with everyone to help strengthen community partnerships and address health disparities in Baltimore. 

Profile photo of Nic Heckenlaible.

Nic Heckenlaible

Hello! My name is Nic Heckenlaible, and I’m a fourth-year student in the School of Medicine! I grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to study chemistry and computer science at Creighton University. All along the way I’ve made it a mission to keep a foot anchored in my community, as far back as co- founding an environmental outreach student organization in high school or as recent as my work with the ViSION program to bring free vision screenings to the East Baltimore community. Living and learning in the distant Midwest was an important experience interfacing with populations often ignored by our national consciousness, and having that foundation motivates me to seek out and empower those facing challenges whose voices are yet unheard. I particularly enjoy focusing on environmental challenges for their dual impact as a determinant of individual health and as a challenge to our global community. Baltimore is a beautiful city, full to the brim with both spirit and challenges, and I couldn’t be more excited to be living here. I can’t wait to help SOURCE leverage the resources of the School of Medicine and more to uplift sustainable health solutions from within the community we share.

Profile photo of Hyonoo Joo.

Hyonoo Joo

Hi everyone! My name is Hyonoo Joo, and I’m a second-year medical student. I grew up in Boise, Idaho and attended the University of Utah where I studied biomedical engineering. At my college’s community engagement center (the Bennion Center), I served as the head of Community Outreach and as a Student Board Representative. Throughout my time in college, I spearheaded several different programs which focused on mentoring first-year students on leadership skills and community engagement. As a Bennion Center student board member, I worked alongside students, staff, faculty, and community partners to outline the direction and mission of our center’s programming. In particular, we worked to expand the diversity of our programs, foster a more inclusive environment, and increase opportunities for nontraditional students. I also volunteered with underserved populations in a clinical setting, which has motivated me to learn more about healthcare disparities and work towards addressing social determinants of health. 

I am very excited to be a part of the SOURCE Student Governing Board. My community engagement experiences were a cornerstone of my undergraduate education, and I hope SOURCE will similarly be a foundational part of my medical education. I can’t wait to learn from others within SOURCE and from the greater Baltimore communities that we work with! 

Branden Lee

Hi Everyone! My name is Branden and I am a medical student at Johns Hopkins. I was born and raised in the Queens borough of NYC and graduated from Boston College in 2021. Rooted in a belief that healthcare is a fundamental right, I was able to partner with incredible organizations throughout my career that were dedicated to serving and empowering under-resourced communities. From establishing free clinics with Timmy Global Health to addressing medical equipment inequity with my team at EHI, I've witnessed the transformative power of service and care. I am excited to work with SOURCE and our partnering organizations to continue harnessing this perspective to fight and advocate for justice, equity, and sustainable growth here in Baltimore. 

Profile photo of Erica Lin.

Erica Lin

Hello! My name is Erica Lin, and I am a first-year medical student. I am from San José, California, studied Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale, and am excited to get to know East Baltimore as home. I first became interested in community-organizing through advocating for social support resources for unhoused youth as San José’s Citywide Youth Commissioner and building sustainable community-academic partnerships on the board of Yale’s Dwight Hall center for social justice. My passion for social-health justice was further shaped by my work throughout the COVID pandemic as the Social Services Co-Director of a free clinic in New Haven that cares for uninsured, primarily undocumented community members. Alongside the privilege of hearing and caring for patients’ worries about food, rent, mental health, and more, I also experienced the strength of grassroots community-building, as I spearheaded collaborations with community partners to deliver free groceries to quarantining patients, crowdfund/distribute over $100,000 in grassroots rent assistance, and advocate for rights to COVID care for undocumented folx.  

I believe that sociocultural wellbeing outside of the clinic is fundamental to health — and that, to achieve health equity, it is also fundamental for (future) healthcare providers to work outside the clinic and alongside community members to advocate for social change. I also believe this must be done with respect, intentionality, care for community priorities, and reflective acknowledgment of oppressive histories and inequitable infrastructures. Thus, I am incredibly humbled to learn from and work alongside our East Baltimore neighbors and CBOs dedicated to strengthening our vibrant community, and I look forward to sharing these conversations with my classmates through SOURCE! 

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Saket Myneni

Hi! My name is Saket Myneni, and I am a second-year medical student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine! I am originally from Austin, Texas but moved to study biology and psychology at Stanford University. I am excited to be serving on the SOURCE student governing board and continuing efforts to build meaningful partnerships with the East Baltimore community. Both cities I have lived in experienced many of the same challenges growing cities around the country face, as development displaces existing communities and uniquely impacts underserved communities. I strongly believe addressing roots of inequity with a sustainable approach is an important and necessary step in any effort to addressing structural harm. With this mindset, I have volunteered with a variety of programs throughout college aimed at addressing these barriers by developing partnerships with existing support programs in my communities and utilizing their strengths. I am excited to explore Baltimore, my new home, and to do my part to build relationships with community-based organizations to create new interventions that capitalize on Baltimore’s drive and unique identity and empower any efforts to improving the health and well-being of our community. I am grateful for the opportunities SOURCE provides to build these connections and looking forward to everything we can accomplish! 

Profile photo of Elizabeth Schlant.

Elizabeth Schlant

Hi everyone, I’m Liz Schlant. I’m a third-year medical student from Buffalo, New York. While in Buffalo, I volunteered at two clinics that provided care for underserved populations, specifically those who are homeless, uninsured or recently released from incarceration. I interned with a think tank that lobbied for legislative and policy changes to alleviate systemic disparities in realms such as poverty, housing, education and the criminal justice system. I engaged in local politics by interning for a Congressman and canvassing for a State Senate candidate. I was also lucky enough to gain public and global health experience with the Community for Global Health Equity as well as through research experiences with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkhed, India and the Appropriate Technology Center in Kampala, Uganda. I am thrilled to be able to continue my community involvement through SOURCE and its partner organizations. 

I am very passionate about promoting collaboration and communication to leverage the resources of Hopkins to most effectively serve the surrounding community. I am so excited to be able to learn from those involved with SOURCE about Baltimore and the work everyone has been doing to promote health and justice, and I hope to be able to contribute to these missions. 

Samalya Thenuwara

Hello! My name is Samalya Thenuwara, and I am a first-year medical student in the School of Medicine. I was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Iowa City, Iowa when I was 8 years old. I lived in Iowa for fifteen years and received my B.S. in Human Physiology from the University of Iowa. During this time, I volunteered as a Board Member and eventually became the Board Chair of the Emma Goldman Clinic, where I advocated for reproductive health justice. I was also a proud volunteer at the Iowa City VA Health Care System and was involved with USA Boxing as an amateur boxing official.

Immigrating from Sri Lanka to Iowa taught me that being involved with my community was the best way to find a sense of home in a new environment. Now that I am here in Baltimore, I spend my time as a tutor to young learners at the Corner Team Boxing & Fitness Club and continue to contribute as an amateur boxing official. The people I work with have made me feel so welcome, and I have quickly found a sense of belonging here.

As a member of the SOURCE Student Governing Board, I hope to guide many more of my peers on their journey to discover their place in the Baltimore community at the intersection of their passions and commitment to service.

Profile photo of Siddarth Venkatraman.

Siddarth Venkatraman

My name is Siddharth and I am a third-year medical student. I was born and raised in San Jose, California, studied biochemistry and philosophy at Creighton University, and am very excited to call Hopkins and East Baltimore my new home! Throughout my life, I have engaged in service and advocacy initiatives ranging from working as a Youth Commissioner for the San Jose City Government to teaching senior citizens how to play the violin, but my main focus has been improving housing infrastructure/accessibility. I worked extensively with Habitat for Humanity to build houses in San Jose and Omaha, provide financial planning and education to families, and advocate on Capitol Hill for affordable housing legislation. 

I am drawn to service because it allows me to work with like-minded people while developing intimate relationships with my community and the individuals that I serve. After seeing the many systemic disparities in San Jose, Omaha, and Baltimore, it has become clear to me that the practice and progression of medicine is inextricably tied to issues of social justice and service. Now that I am here in Baltimore, I want to help build my new community into a stronger, safer, and more equitable home for all people. I am so excited to work with SOURCE to develop and promote service and advocacy opportunities within East Baltimore, galvanize students to become more active stewards of their own community, and use my platform to improve health and housing disparities in a tangible and sustainable way.