Student Spotlight: Syona Hariharan
Syona Hariharan (SFS ’22) is an undergraduate on the PreMed track studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. She is concentrating in Global Health and Biotechnology and minoring in Spanish.
Tell us about your interest in global health.
What inspired you to participate in the Conversations in Global Health Course? I applied to colleges with the intention of pursuing a PreMed track and majoring in Economics and Spanish. It was only upon gaining admission to Georgetown that I discovered the STIA major within the SFS; I was hooked immediately. The STIA major, specifically its concentration in Global Health and Biotechnology, embodied everything I wanted to explore during my undergraduate education. I want to discover how I can impact healthcare on a broader scale, focusing on health equity and advocacy for medically underserved communities. I have taken a variety of courses in economics, international relations, Spanish, and STEM, and I chose to take the Conversations in Global Health course to discover how I can combine these various fields into a career path. Hearing from economists, policy makers, and physicians in the Global Health field has given me inspiration on the unique, specialized career paths that are possible for someone with my academic interests.
Tell us about other global health events you may have participated in on campus/in D.C.
This Conversations in Global Health course is my first real exposure to the Global Health field. I am an EMT with GERMS and have shadowed in hospitals in the past, but this is my first real engagement with Global Health and not just clinical exposure at a local level. I hope to become involved with the Global Health Initiative on campus and potentially pursue work in DC with the Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity. I also hope to participate in healthcare clinics in Latin American countries in the next few years.
What activities are you involved with on campus?
I am an EMT with Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS), within which I am also an Assistant Director of Training for the on-campus EMT class that GERMS provides. I am a dancer on GU Jawani, Georgetown’s Premier Bhangra Dance Team, as well as a choreographer for Rangila, the largest philanthropic dance showcase on the eastern seaboard. I also serve as a Spanish tutor with Hoyas Inspire Language Learners, a community service program that provides cultural exposure to elementary school children at Seaton Elementary in DC.
What is your favorite part about being at Georgetown?
My favorite part about Georgetown so far has been the tight-knit communities that I have found here in the clubs that I am involved in. Whether it be the GERMS community and the peers I have found who are as passionate about healthcare provision as I am, or GU Jawani with its joyous, energetic ambiance, Georgetown’s student groups have given me supportive groups of friends with whom I can relate to about our mutual academic and extracurricular interests.
Tell us about your educational and professional aspirations.
I intend to pursue a career in medicine. I want to acquire experiences in college that will allow me to become an international advocate for diverse patient populations. One of the most effective tools that healthcare professionals have to impact health and well-being is to engage with medicine on the patient’s terms. Culture and language are two of the most fundamental components of life, and I want to gain the multicultural and multilingual exposure needed to improve the lives of diverse patient populations in my medical career. Ultimately, I want to become a knowledgeable contributor to global health initiatives by being well-versed in language, culture, history, and politics.