Student Spotlight: Meera Parikh
Meera Parikh is a student in the School of Nursing and Health Studies.
Tell us why are you interested in global health?
I have always been interested in medicine, but also the intersection between science and the humanities. I applied to Georgetown as a Global Health major, not really knowing what it would entail, but I immediately fell in love with all my classes. I especially like the emphasis on the cultural implications that we must consider when implementing interventions. I think that health is a human right and I want to be able to impact people’s lives from a nonclinical perspective. Global health gives me the ability to have the greatest influence on health care promotion and it covers a wide range of disciplines.
What are some global health events you have participated in on campus/in D.C.
On campus I volunteer for One Tent Health, which is a grassroots organization that conducts free HIV screenings in at-risk neighborhoods in D.C. I have been trained to administer the rapid INSTI HIV test and I have had the opportunity to explore different areas of D.C. through One Tent. I also am a member of Georgetown’s chapter of GlobeMed, which is a CSJ club that does global health advocacy and partners with a grassroots NGO in another country to help them with funding and other projects. I also have a remote internship with the Fund for Global Health, which is a Seattle-based advocacy organization that mobilizes constituents of Senators and Representatives on the Appropriations Committee to increase funding for global health programs. I am currently working on asking my Senator to increase funding for tuberculosis and primary health care programs as well as to improve health outcomes reporting in programs that the US funds.
What activities are you involved with on campus?
I am the Special Events chair of the Hindu Students Association (HSA) on campus, in addition to GlobeMed and One Tent Health. In HSA, we plan cultural events and weekly services for the whole Georgetown community and promote a cultural understanding of the Dharmic faith traditions. I am also involved in intramural sports and I am currently playing on an intramural soccer team. In the fall, I participate in Rangila, Georgetown’s South Asian dance showcase.
What is your favorite part about being at Georgetown?
My favorite part about being at Georgetown is the community of welcoming, ambitious, and well meaning individuals I have met here. Everyone I know has a passion that they exhibit through a variety of means, whether it be volunteering or producing plays. I love how interdisciplinary the classes are, but also the spaces where people meet. In my day-to-day life, I meet people from all different backgrounds, majoring in a variety of fields, and everyone is always excited to share and learn from each other.
Tell us about your educational and professional aspirations.
After Georgetown, I can see myself working for a nonprofit in D.C. that focuses on global health issues. I am very interested in infectious diseases and the social and political issues surrounding pandemics. I also am passionate about global mental health and increasing understanding and access to mental health care. However, I am not completely sure what I want to do in the future because every day I learn about another field in global health that I could potentially work in. Right now, I am keeping an open mind and I am excited to see where my career takes me.