Global Health Institute

During the holiday season, it is important to remember that not all families will enjoy a table filled with mashed potatoes, turkey, and pie. In Washington, D.C. alone, 14.5 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, which means they do not have access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that in 2015, 27.9 percent of children under the age of 18 in the District of Columbia were living in food insecure households [1].

The Global Health Initiative’s fellowship has granted me the opportunity to engage in dynamic conversations about global health with students from an array of schools and majors at Georgetown. I appreciate that we have stressed the importance of global health’s interdisciplinary nature in our discussions. However, it is imperative to notice that this nature extends beyond the variety of professions global health encompasses. I affirm that any leader working towards social impact or to secure human rights is a global health leader, even when their goals are not explicitly health-centered.