Office of Rural Initiatives Announces the 2024 Kenan Pr
Office of Rural Initiatives Announces the 2024 Kenan Primary Care Medical Scholars
Congratulations to this year’s Kenan Primary Care Medical Scholars. Thanks to the generous support of the Sarah Graham Kenan Endowment and the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, the Kenan Primary Care Scholars Program offers medical students rural experiences in Central, Eastern, and Western North Carolina through the Kenan Rural Scholars program.
Kate Aberman is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, and earned her BS in Biology from UNC with minors in Chemistry and Spanish for the Medical Professions. With a background in microbiology research at UNC studying pseudomonas and gonorrhea, after graduation Kate completed a two-year post baccalaureate at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, focusing on tuberculosis. Transitioning to healthcare and returning to Chapel Hill, Kate worked as a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges of medical access, educational gaps, and the impact of social drivers. Inspired by the need for improved reproductive healthcare and the challenges in accessing primary care, she looks forward to advocating for greater inclusivity and accessibility in medicine as a Kenan Rural Scholar. Outside of her healthcare pursuits, Kate enjoys expressing her creativity through art, knitting, and sewing. She also finds joy in playing the bluegrass and old-time fiddle.
Isibel Caraballo grew up on multiple U.S. Army bases, but her family eventually landed in Fayetteville, NC. She graduated from Duke University in 2019 with a BS in Biology – Cellular and Molecular and a minor in Psychology. After graduation, she worked as a research technician in the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, focusing on the epigenetic mechanisms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She then transitioned to working as a medical scribe for Piedmont Health Services. As a float employee, she worked at clinics in Carrboro, Burlington, Moncure, and Prospect Hill. Isibel treasured her time working at the federally qualified health centers and patient-centered medical homes. There she found the pleasure of providing health care and other resources to underserved communities, especially Spanish-speaking populations. Her medical passions include children’s wellness, women’s health, and cancer biology. Outside of medicine, she enjoys watching movies, attending Bible studies, and playing board games with friends. As a Kenan Urban Scholar, Isibel is excited to develop into a physician who provides high quality health care to the people who need it most. Isibel will be a Kenan Urban Scholar at WakeMed in Raleigh, NC.
Megan Gaines was born in Whitsett, NC and attended North Carolina Central University where she majored in biomedical sciences. After graduation she spent a year working with Duke Clinical Research Institute and Lincoln Community Health Center, a FQHC in Durham, doing quality improvement and research projects involving hypertension disparities and the barriers to adequate blood pressure control. During this time, she did a variety of volunteering with the Durham public health department, the African American Covid Task Force at Duke, and the severe hypertension outreach project through the American College of Preventive Medicine. Both during and after undergrad, Megan has seen how social drivers of health impact patient outcomes, and the role physicians may play in addressing these social determinants. Megan is currently passionate about public health and primary care, namely family medicine and internal medicine in underserved populations. Outside of school she loves watching movies, playing volleyball, reading and writing, and juggling. Megan will be a Kenan Rural Scholar at the Greensboro cross-regional campus.
Hayley Giordano is from Shallotte, a quaint coastal town in North Carolina, and made her way to UNC School of Medicine after completing her studies in Biology, Ethics, and Law at NC State University. Following graduation from NC State, Hayley embarked on a transformative journey in North Central Nigeria, delving into the realms of tropical medicine and engaging in a myriad of service projects. During her year abroad, Hayley’s endeavors included offering support at a center for women facing crisis pregnancies and dedicating her time to teaching at a care home for orphaned young boys. These experiences broadened her medical knowledge and fueled her passion for serving diverse communities facing unique challenges. Outside of service and academia, Hayley enjoys exploring local coffee shops, cooking, traveling, and surfing. She is interested in studying the intricate intersection of medicine and law, with a keen focus on its impact on matters of health equity. Motivated by a commitment to address health disparities, Hayley aspires to serve underserved populations in her home state of North Carolina. She envisions herself as a future leader in the ongoing effort to diminish health inequalities, and she is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to learn and contribute as a compassionate physician within her community. Hayley will be returning to Southeastern NC as a Kenan Rural Scholar on the Wilmington campus.
Maria Harb was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. Truly a Tarheel born and bred, she went to UNC-CH for her undergraduate studies, graduating with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Arab Cultures. She was first exposed to the self-propagating cycle of health inequity due to social determinants of health volunteering with Urban Ministries and conversing with the community members. Since then, she has seen the healthcare challenges those in underserved communities abroad and locally experience through international mission trips to Honduras and Lebanon and by serving as a first responder in the triangle during the pandemic. During her gap year, Maria worked as a market researcher and healthcare consultant, giving her the opportunity to learn about the unique obstacles providers and patients in community settings across the U.S. experience when trying to access healthcare. When not focused on school, Maria loves to read (fantasy novels!), dance, cook, and travel! Maria is extremely excited to learn ways to positively impact underserved communities in North Carolina through the Kenan Rural Scholars Program and will be at the Wilmington campus. As a physician, she aspires to find ways to make healthcare more accessible and equitable to those in her community through education and socially, culturally, and language-conscious care.
Lacey Malinsky was born and raised in the small town of Lumberton, NC. She attended North Carolina State University for her undergraduate studies, where she majored in Biological Sciences and minored in Nonprofit Studies. While at NC State, she participated in and led organizations that focused on engaging with underserved populations and rural communities. One of her favorite experiences was a service-learning spring break trip, where she visited several rural NC middle schools, including one in her home county, and led fun STEM activities for the students. After graduation, she worked as an office administrator for a neuromuscular medicine clinic and volunteered as a special needs soccer coach. She is excited to join the Kenan Rural program, and the Wilmington campus cohort, where she can cultivate her passion for finding creative and sustainable solutions to the healthcare challenges faced in rural North Carolina. After medical school, she aims to become a rural primary care physician in Southeast NC. She is currently interested in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, watching movies, playing soccer, and spending time with her friends and family.
Shernice Martin was born in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, and migrated to Durham, NC in 2019. She attended Duke University and studied Neuroscience with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. Prior to her undergraduate career, she was exposed to language as a social barrier to medical care while translating for Venezuelan immigrants at a family medicine clinic. She became determined to gain exposure to as many socioeconomic disadvantages as possible so that someday, she could holistically care for her patients who would experience them. This mission led her on a five-year journey of tutoring children from urban neighborhoods in Trinidad, volunteering on medical mission trips with Global Medical Brigades, and developing women’s health outreach initiatives for immigrants in New York. It was equally important for her to also pursue this mission in the state she came to call home. She spent time serving as a Liberty hospice aide for impoverished families in rural North Carolina, researching psychosocial interventions for women of color diagnosed with gynecological cancer at the Duke Behavioral Medicine Program, supporting brain injury survivors with limited insurance coverage at BIANC, collaborating with the DPFC to establish a dance literacy curriculum for educationally disadvantaged youth, and currently, functioning as the Bridge to Care clinic director for UNC SHAC. Her mentor once challenged her to see the health of urban underserved communities as leaves of a tree, and the socioeconomic barriers they experience as the roots. As a Kenan Urban Scholar, she is excited to continue to develop into an empathetic, resourceful, socially aware physician that practices medicine with a humble, patient-centered approach. When she envisions herself as a provider, she wants to go where few are willing to go. She wants to work in local and international disadvantaged communities; with the abused, the incarcerated, those who are educationally and financially disadvantaged.
Hannaneh Mirmozaffari is from High Point, NC, and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill as a Medical Anthropology major with minors in Creative Writing and Chemistry. In undergrad, she practiced as a volunteer doula for three years and was a part of the Rural Medicine Pathways Program.
After college, she continued serving as a board member for Sistas Caring 4 Sistas and taught high school math in Asheville, NC where she was reminded of the importance of education for all outcomes, health or otherwise. Outside of school, she is an avid road cyclist, enjoys reading, and loves a good cup of coffee. Hanna will be returning to the Asheville area as a Kenan Rural Scholar at the Asheville campus.
Sinclaire Scales was born and raised in Cary, North Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill, where she majored in Biology and Psychology and minored in Social and Economic Justice. As an undergraduate student, she was a research assistant and conducted a senior honors thesis project in the Social Neuroscience & Health Lab. During her time in the lab, she developed an understanding of how social stressors relate to chronic disease development, which was integral in her decision to pursue medicine. After graduating, she worked for a year as a certified nursing assistant and then for a year as a urology medical scribe. During that time, she also had the privilege of shadowing in a psychiatric clinic. She is interested in psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology and looks forward to exploring these specialties further. As a Kenan Urban Scholar, Sinclaire is excited to learn from physicians/healthcare providers so that she is prepared to deliver excellent clinical care and aid patients in navigating healthcare barriers. She also looks forward to learning more about community-based organizations in Raleigh and their essential role in ensuring all patients have accessible healthcare. Sinclaire enjoys dancing, making music playlists, spending time with friends/family, and reading in her free time.
Kit Sturm is from Davis, California. He attended Stanford University for his undergraduate degree, where he majored in psychology and worked as a research assistant in a sociology lab investigating polarization and social change. Before medical school, Kit spent two years volunteering in Asheville, North Carolina through AmeriCorps. He worked at a local family medicine clinic as a medical assistant and health coach providing tobacco cessation counseling. As part of his role, Kit was the medical assistant for a gender affirming care clinic serving patients from across Western North Carolina and neighboring states. His experiences at these clinics reaffirmed his interest in pursuing a career in primary care and working to increase access to care in rural areas. He has a particular interest in gender affirming care and working with Spanish speaking patients. Kit is excited to be a Kenan Rural Scholar and returning to the Asheville area as a Kenan Scholar to continue learning from his patients and developing the skills necessary to practice medicine in rural communities. Outside of school, he enjoys Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, crocheting, and spending time with friends.
Camara Wooten, hailing from Newark, New Jersey, made her way to Durham, NC, where she pursued her education at Duke University, earning a BA in Public Policy Studies complemented by minors in global health and chemistry. Following her academic journey, she served as a public health analyst at RTI International, contributing to federally funded evaluation projects spanning substance use treatment and prevention, community violence prevention, and the optimization of mental and behavioral health service delivery. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is deeply invested in serving underserved communities through mentorship, service, and community organizing and asset/resiliency building. Her advocacy is fueled by a passion for addressing the social determinants of health prevalent in urban underserved regions, mirroring the community she proudly represents. Specifically, she has a strong interest for conducting research and collaborating on community projects centered on violence prevention and intervention strategies, combating environmental racism in regions afflicted by food deserts and swamps, and advocating for the needs of minority women facing disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. Camara aspires to serve as a beacon of representation for underrepresented groups in the medical arena and aims to foster patient-provider and community-provider trust and will be a Kenan Urban Scholar in Raleigh.
Julia Wood grew up in a small town in northwestern Virginia, at the base of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. For undergrad, she attended the College of William & Mary, where she studied Kinesiology & Health Sciences. Following graduation, she participated in the MedServe Fellowship, an AmeriCorps program that provides aspiring medical providers with an opportunity to gain clinical experience in North Carolina’s underserved communities. It was during her time with MedServe, while working in Brevard, NC at an FQHC, that she discovered her love of rural primary care and her desire to serve communities like the one where she was raised. Julia hopes to one day be part of a rural community as a Family Medicine physician, where she is able to pursue interests in chronic disease management, addiction medicine, prenatal care, and addressing social determinants of health. Julia is so excited to get to continue learning about and serving the western North Carolina community with the Kenan Rural Scholars Program at the Asheville campus. In her free time, Julia can be found reading, cooking, doing anything outside, or spending time with friends & family.
Ashley Ruhashya grew up in Charlotte, NC and comes from a family of Rwandan immigrants. Before medical school, she attended UNC Chapel Hill, where she graduated with a BS in Biology. During college, she had the opportunity to go to Ghana to learn and volunteer with a small community clinic. Throughout her personal and professional experiences, Ashley has seen firsthand the resilience and determination of immigrant families, which sparked her interest in social justice. After college, she worked as a medical scribe in UNC’s Ob/Gyn department, conducted clinical research, and became a certified birth doula. This solidified her desire to not only become a physician, but to also promote equity in vulnerable communities. She went on to spend one year doing MED EXCEL, where she was provided with invaluable insights into the complexities of health inequities and the value of primary care. Overall, her journey has been motivated by a desire to understand and combat the systemic challenges that contribute to disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. She has specific interests in the world of maternal health. She is very excited to be a Kenan Urban Scholar, where she will learn how to facilitate meaningful change, particularly for marginalized populations, and practice compassionate and effective care. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, traveling, and playing board games.