My commitment to public health began with a moment I will never forget. Years ago in Sierra Leone, I was at a district hospital when a young pregnant woman arrived after hours of struggling to reach care. She needed emergency obstetric support that simply wasn’t available in time. Despite the staff’s best efforts, she didn’t survive.
Standing with her family afterward, I felt the weight of a truth that has guided my entire career: she didn’t die because of a lack of will or love or courage—she died because the system around her failed. And systems can be changed.
Since receiving my public health degree, I have devoted myself to strengthening those systems—from improving training models to supporting frontline workers and building trauma‑informed, inclusive programs. Working alongside ministries, local partners, and community leaders, I’ve directed my career toward solutions that protect women, families, and entire communities.
The achievement I am most proud of is helping co‑found Women Leaders in Eye Health (WLEH), a collaborative global initiative designed to uplift women and ensure they are seen—and valued—as the leaders they already are. WLEH supports to connect and build the skills, confidence, and visibility of women working across eye health and public health, and advocates for their inclusion at decision‑making tables locally, nationally, and globally. Watching WLEH grow, adapt, and support women eye health professionals has reaffirmed my belief that public health is at its strongest when it invests directly in people—their leadership, their voice, and their power to transform systems from within.
Every career pivot I’ve made has been anchored in that early experience at the hospital. If I could speak to my younger self, I’d say: stay committed—change is slow, but every strengthened program and every trained provider moves us closer to a future where no woman dies because help came too late.
This is why I remain in public health: to help build the systems every woman deserves.
