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San Francisco State Pre-health Students Vie for $1 Million Prize

Published

11 years ago

March 9, 2014

By Jonathan Morales, SFSU News

Three SF State University students are among the thousands worldwide vying for the Hult Prize, given annually to the team with the best plan to address a global health challenge selected each year by former President Bill Clinton. T

his year’s challenge? Develop a social health care enterprise that, by 2019, serves the needs of 25 million residents of urban slums living with non-communicable diseases.

The team comprised of Kimberly Spaulding, Xochilt Borja and Tricia Mittra — all students in SF State’s Pre-Health Professions Certificate Program (PHPCP) — is among 50 selected as finalists in the San Francisco regional competition. They will vie March 7 and 8 for a spot in the global finals that take place later this year.

“This is another great example not only of our students’ success, but also of their commitment to serving the community while engaging global issues that make a difference in the world,” said President Leslie Wong. “I was delighted to learn that Kimberly, Xochilt and Tricia were selected as regional finalists. I wish them luck, and know they’ll make SF State proud.”

The team members have different backgrounds but share a goal of becoming physicians serving those in need. Spaulding majored in music but was an active participant in model United Nations and dreamed of traveling to Africa to work in a clinic. Borja, who first read about the competition online and assembled the team, was an undergraduate science student who considered research before settling on medicine. Mittra lived in India for nearly 3 years and hopes to become an obstetrician working in underserved communities.

Needing additional coursework before entering medical school, they chose SF State’s program for its affordability, reputation, proximity to such top medical schools as Stanford and University of California, San Francisco, and commitment to social justice.

“Working in underserved communities is something that is really emphasized and valued in our program,” Borja said. “It’s constantly talked about.”

The stakes in the competition are high. According to Hult, 63 percent of deaths worldwide are due to non-communicable diseases and 80 percent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. These diseases are responsible for more than half of the world’s health care costs.

The team wouldn’t divulge its proposal for addressing the Hult challenge, but its members are confident their plan answers the questions posed and is spending the last few days before the regional competition preparing their presentation.

If they win at regionals, they’ll spend the summer in a six-week program of intensive entrepreneurial seminars designed to help them flesh out their idea. Then, in September, it’s on to the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting, the final pitch and the awarding of the $1 million prize.

While the majority of teams competing for the Hult prize have business backgrounds, Spaulding, Borja and Mittra are approaching the challenge from a health care perspective.

“We have the viewpoint of the people that we would be helping, more than how it is going to make money,” Spaulding said. “At the heart of our effort is, how is this going to help the people that we’re targeting.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that they can completely ignore dollars and cents. The major criteria upon which their project will be judged include its ability to sustain itself after the seed money runs out and whether it can be replicated across countries and cultures. To assist them with that and other aspects of the challenge, they’ve enlisted the help of various health, science and business advisors, including PHPCP Director and Professor of Biology Barry Rothman.

“It’s really key you’re able to marry the business side and the health care side,” Mittra said. “The projects that are able to obtain funding and survive are those that can sustain themselves and be long lasting, and they are the ones that ultimately have the biggest impact on the health of the people you’re serving.”

Spaulding, Borja and Mittra are all in the midst of medical school applications, but know if they win the Hult Prize they’ll have a responsibility to implement their proposal. And even if they don’t win, they agree the experience will be invaluable as they move through their careers.

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LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

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5 days ago

November 12, 2024

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Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

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November 9, 2024

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OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

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Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.