Havalee Henry, a School of Medicine and Dentistry student, is set to represent UR at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) University Conference, which occurs in April. Henry was selected from a national pool of applicants to attend the conference.
At the conference, more than 1,500 students will work with global leaders and private citizens on issues such as poverty alleviation, climate change, global health and education. Focal points of the conference, which is funded by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will be HIV/AIDS in the developing world, childhood obesity and economic opportunity in the U.S., as well as economic development in Africa and Latin America.
One of Henry’s goals for the conference is to work on ensuring health care for all, especially for those who cannot afford or have a hard time obtaining it. This issue personally resonates with Henry, who saw health care issues firsthand in her home country of Jamaica.
‘As far back as I can remember, I have involved myself in activities aimed at improving human wellbeing, and I feel this is my civic responsibility,” Henry said.
Henry hopes to make a difference through her project, which includes establishing a future student-run clinic at the University of the West Indies Medical School in Kingston, Jamaica.
Henry’s basic plan for the clinic includes a fully equipped and funded staff to carry out routine operations, as well as opportunities for students to learn and present their information to attending physicians.
Within time, student leaders will be expected to take on other tasks to help complete the project. Henry hopes that by attending the conference, she will gain all the necessary tools to launch her plans.
‘This clinic has been a tremendous gift, which benefits both the community and the medical students alike,” Henry said. ‘It provides much needed health care to the community in which I reside and at the same time I have been able to obtain vital hands-on clinical experience in patient care.”
This year’s conference will be held April 16-18 at the University of Miami. CGI is no longer accepting applicants.
At the conference, there will be a series of workshops designed to assist each person to work out the details of his or her project, as well as presentations made by guest speakers such as President Clinton and other world leaders.
Rosenthal is a member of the class of 2012.
