Merrill Presidential Scholar Talia Lewis

On Monday, we talked with Lyndsey Wilson, one of the School of Public Health's two honorees as Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars. Today, we talk with Talia Lewis, an Individual Studies Program major whose course of study--Health, Culture and Inequality--keeps her around the SPH building.

As her mentor, she chose Dr. Sharon Desmond in the Department of Public and Community Health. The Healthy Turtle recently spoke with Lewis:

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Healthy Turtle: How did you come to be a Presidential Scholar?

Talia Lewis: I am in the Individual Studies Program (IVSP) here, which means that I designed my major (Health, Culture and Inequality Studies). I recently found out that I became eligible for the honor because someone from the IVSP staff nominated me for the award.

HT: What does your selection as a Presidential scholar mean to you?

TL: I feel so honored to have received this award for two reasons. First, it is very encouraging to know that I was nominated for this award by someone who thought I was deserving of it. That tells me I have done good things in my three years here.

More importantly though, the Phillip Merrill Scholar award is about recognizing teachers who have impacted my life throughout my academic career starting from grade school. Through this award, I have been given the very cool opportunity to officially recognize and say thank you to individual teachers who have given me invaluable guidance and support.

Specifically, it means a lot to me to be able to recognize Dr. Desomond who has been my faculty mentor and teacher since I started on the IVSP path. She has really given me a great deal, so I really appreciate the chance to give her something in return.

HT: What are you most looking forward to about your senior year?

TL: As a requirement of the Individual Studies Program, I will be working with Dr. Desmond on my senior project. I have decided to use this opportunity to focus on organ trafficking, a very tough and complex issue. I am already passionate about the topic despite knowing only a little bit of its background.

So I am very much looking forward to delving into the research, to learning a lot more and to hopefully producing a meaningful study that successfully brings together the three main components of my major; health, culture and inequality.

Additionally, I am currently taking my final lab science requirement for medical school--I'm very exited for a lab-free semester (I'll be graduating in December).

HT: What do you hope to do after graduation?

TL: I hope to go to a medical school with a strong focus on international health because ultimately my dream job is to be a family doctor in multiple medically undeserved areas, both domestically and internationally.