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Market-Based Solutions to Vital Economic Issues

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Kenan Institute 2024 Grand Challenge: Business Resilience
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Market-Based Solutions to Vital Economic Issues

Background

I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya where my parents worked in public health, but I hail from Durham, North Carolina. I attended Appalachian State University in Boone where I studied Economics and Sustainability, and played Club Ultimate Frisbee. After graduation, I served in the US Peace Corps in Nicaragua as a Community Health Worker where I worked with counterparts from civil society and local government institutions on health outreach initiatives in the areas of HIV prevention, teenage pregnancy prevention, and maternal child heath.

Career Path

The Peace Corps highlighted the management challenges to health services delivery, whether in the US or abroad. Inadequate sources of revenues, weak health information systems, staffing inconsistent with demand, and stock outs were just some of issues I witnessed that contributed to the lack of a standard approach to care and a vacuum of accountability. Attending Kenan-Flagler and the Gillings School of Global Public Health was a clear choice where I could complement my public health training with management thinking to tackle challenges in a dynamic industry. The opportunity to work on healthcare projects under Professor Swaminathan and Professor Kesavan as a Kenan Scholar is an invaluable learning opportunity that will allow me to apply classroom tools and frameworks in a real-world context.

Interests and Hobbies

Outside of class, I support student initiatives at Kenan-Flagler, such as the Healthcare Conference and Foodcon, and I work on a research project at Gillings. In my free time, I love to run, play Ultimate Frisbee and dance bachata.