Support Adrian's Masters Program at Georgetown

Dear Community,

Hello, I am Adrian, a first-year Master's student at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. I am pursuing an MS in Epidemiology where I will concentrate on the epidemiology of cancer and infectious disease.

Acceptance into Georgetown University and this program is a blessing, a dream that came through, and an opportunity of a lifetime. I was both elated and humbled at the chance to be able to follow my dream after overcoming so many hurdles and challenges in my life. My first semester was a very good one, where I completed courses and obtain a 3.66 GPA. This tremendous experience made me realize my lifelong goal to be a research scientist and medical doctor was possible. I believe I am on a true path towards achieving my goals of MD/Ph.D. degrees in the future. Ideally, my work will one day contribute towards reducing health disparities and improving health standards, and quality of life for individuals, communities, and nations.

However, I first need to improve my own quality of life to study. I am humbly seeking financial assistance to continue the program at Georgetown University. Your generous financial support is not only an investment in me as a person, but it is also an investment in people like me, pursuing STEM against all odds, in a world that needs our skills and perspectives.

I am currently faced with huge financial and economic barriers. As a low-income international student, there is limited availability of funding and scholarship opportunities. A family emergency and the ineligibility of my immediate family and supporting cast to co-sign private student loans led to my unmet financial obligations with the university. As a result, I was unable to continue my second-semester education for the Spring and Fall 2023 semester as well as, Spring 2024 semester . It is my goal, with your support, to return in the upcoming Fall 2024 semester.

Can you support me today with a donation to my GoFundMe?

My Story

Growing up on the island of Jamaica, it has always been my long-term goal to pursue a career in health care and to be a contributing factor towards impacting the quality of life of my family, individuals, and community from a young child. This first love started while living with my great grandmother who suffered from arthritis, chronic pain, and other debilitating illnesses. In the deep rural area of Jamaica where I lived, there is only one small community clinic, and I was familiar with people suffering from different infectious and chronic diseases.

As I grew older, I became more aware and gained deeper knowledge about various infectious diseases and chronic illnesses' severity, especially the impact of cancer and HIV. I acquired a deeper understanding of the impact these diseases were having on communities and marginalized populations. This intensified my interest and passion for the pursuit of a career in healthcare and public health. My desire shifted from not only wanting to make families and individuals around me better but now I became enthusiastic about finding solutions to prevent and control the distribution and transmission of diseases and other health issues among the broader population.

I have a burning intellect, an unyielding interest and a great passion for healthcare, medicine, and public health. Pursuance of this master's degree will be an important vehicle towards achieving my mission and vision of impacting the lives of people through healthcare, especially those who are underserved and those who face various health barriers and disparities. I am driven, and challenging myself to advocate and be a change towards creating better healthcare and healthcare systems, breaking healthcare barriers, and reducing disparities.

The journey to Georgetown University has not been an easy one. I have encountered numerous challenges and setbacks, socially and economically, while completing my two undergraduate degrees in Jamaica and the United States of America. After years of struggles and financial barriers, faith brought me to the United States and to Howard University to study and complete my bachelor’s in biology and engage in graduate biomedical science research in cancer and HIV.

Despite those challenges, I persevered, as being the first college graduate of my parents and my unyielding interest in healthcare, giving up was not an option. I was determined to achieve my career objectives of reducing health and healthcare disparities among given populations. The two thousand and nineteen Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic intensifies my desire to study epidemiology which peers into another aspect of health. This allows me to gain deeper and more intimate knowledge in identifying and understanding the origin of diseases, and investigating how they are transmitted among populations. The knowledge and skills gained from cancer and infectious disease epidemiology will be an important asset in translating findings into effective healthcare policies, practices, and clinical protocols, to prevent and control disease transmission, and to reduce and eliminate disparities.

The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic demonstrates the need for continuous improvements in healthcare and healthcare systems to reduce gaps, barriers, and other disparities. Therefore, I embrace the challenge to be a contributing factor in improving healthcare standards for health and wellness among communities and the larger populations. My vision and passion are to have a positive impact on healthcare and global health where everyone has access to quality healthcare, irrespective of class, race and whether individuals are residents of a first-world country or a developing nation.

Growing up in both rural and garrison communities in a developing nation with limited healthcare resources, and poor healthcare facilities and systems, I have experienced and been exposed to inequalities, gaps, and many disparities in healthcare that severely impacted the health and wellness of individuals and communities. I focus my career path on public health and healthcare to create change and advocate for improvements in healthcare policies, practices, and healthcare systems, to reduce gaps, barriers, and disparities.

Obtaining this support and assistance will be significant for me to complete my master's program that will equip and prepare me to achieve my goals of targeting and tackling cancer incidence, mortality, morbidity and infectious disease distribution and transmission, creating better healthcare, healthcare systems and facilities that will translate into providing optimum health and wellness for everyone to have a healthier and longer life.