Human Science Senior Plans to Continue Work to Support Refugee Communities

December 7, 2018 – Vanessa Lim (NHS’19) is a human science senior at the School of Nursing & Health Studies. She has used her time at Georgetown to co-lead a health, faith, and justice pre-orientation program for incoming undergraduates and, as a Millennium Fellow, to work with Afghan refugees.

Vanessa Lim (NHS’19)

Question: Where are you from originally and how did you hear about Georgetown?

Lim: I was born and raised in New York City. I heard about Georgetown when I visited DC during a summer trip in high school.

Question: How are you enjoying Georgetown and the human science major?

Lim: Georgetown has been a home for the past three years, and I am grateful for every experience it has given me. I am beyond grateful for the support I received from the Georgetown Scholarship Program, Campus Outreach (an on-campus Georgetown Protestant Ministry), faculty, and friends.

Human science has offered a multidisciplinary approach in studying human health and disease, widening my view of how our bodies work. Studying basic sciences in the classroom setting and the lab motivated me to apply what I know to serve others. I am grateful that this discipline has motivated me to continue working toward my passions, including pursuing a career in medicine.

Question: Tell us how you got involved in the CURA pre-orientation program.

Lim: CURA is a health care pre-orientation program dedicated to educate students on health disparities in underserved populations through community partnerships and reflection.  When I started getting involved as a student leader, I was immensely blown away by the quality of this program, its mission, and the investment that the student creators of CURA [Jaclynne Nader (NHS’18) and Jacy Necypor (NHS’18)] have poured into it. CURA has helped me in my personal growth as a leader and advocate for the vulnerable.

I was able to work as a program coordinator for CURA with my fellow classmate and friend, Jonathan Picos (NHS’19), the following year in hopes of casting my vision for CURA to grow and empower future generations to serve the underserved. CURA has brought incredible experiences and introduced me to an amazing community on the Hilltop. I can’t imagine my time here at Georgetown without it.

Question: Tell us more about your work with the Millennium Fellowship.

Lim: The Millennium Fellowship is a cohort of students who are motivated to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on campus and in our communities. Each fellow works on his or her own project that tackles a variety of SDGs, but we also support each other by providing each other feedback and networks. I entered the fellowship with a research project that aims to assess cultural health beliefs of Afghan refugees who resettled in Northern Virginia. This fellowship has helped me develop my skills in creating partnerships with different stakeholders that play a role in advancing the well-being of refugees.

Question: What are your plans for the future?

Lim: I am hoping to attend to medical school in the future, and I am taking a few gap years till then. During my gap years, I will be working as an EMT, and I hope to work in clinical research. I also want to continue supporting refugee communities through my involvement with the Northern Virginia Coalition for Refugee Wellness.