School of Health Students Honored for Contributions to Community on Campus and Beyond

A female student speaks from a podium — Rachel Son (H’25) was this year’s student speaker at the Tropaia Ceremony.

(May 18, 2025) — In addition to their dedication to academic excellence and research, graduating School of Health students were recognized at the annual Tropaia Ceremony for the service contributions made during their time at Georgetown, including teaching children with special needs to swim, volunteering with hospice, working in the campus garden, and interning on Capitol Hill.

“Our community is composed of students and scholars and practitioners who have a dream, a dream for an equitable and just world where all people can achieve optimal health and well-being,” said Christopher King, PhD, FACHE, dean of the School of Health. “I especially enjoy Tropaia because we recognize students who have exemplified this commitment, and contributed to the richness of our campus community.”

Christopher King, dressed in academic regalia, speaks from a podium — Christopher King, PhD, FACHE

The ceremony honored graduating students who presented research at regional and national conferences, developed a play that illuminated personal perspectives on health care, served as teaching assistants and peer mentors, and learned about global health in Argentina, Australia and Cameroon. The students also conducted research on the health impacts of redlining, the mechanisms of bone invasion in Ewing sarcoma, the culture of blame in medicine, and risk markers of hepatocellular carcinomas.

Despite the students’ diverse interests, experiences and backgrounds, student speaker Rachel Son (H’25) described the School of Health community as “tight knit” and encouraged her classmates to stay connected in the years ahead through their struggles and successes.

“As each of you go out and make your unique mark on the world, I hope you look back on your time in the School of Health as the spark that lit your passion, shaped your purpose, and grounded you in a community that will always be in your corner,” she said.