Haley Goodwin
(SHE/HER)
Haley is a third-year biochemistry major with the Health Science Scholars honors program. She is also working on a minor in Healthcare Reform and Innovation with McCombs as well as an Elements of Computing Certificate. As a premed student, Haley has become more than aware of the disparities that exists within our community and nation as a whole that can detriment one's access to medical care, such as race, immigration status, income, and education. As a result, she has grown to become passionate about serving her community and doing her part in remedying some of these societal ills as best as she is able. As a Walker Fellow, Haley hopes to further deepen her compassion, understanding, and awareness of the potential struggles others may face, and she hopes that developing this sense of interpersonal dexterity will prove beneficial to herself and her patients as she pursues a career in medicine.
Athvait Manikantan
(HE/Him)
Athvait is a second-year student from Leander, TX, majoring in Neuroscience, in addition to being a part of the Plan II Honors program. Having seen instances of inadequate medical care affecting billions worldwide, Athvait aims to make a change to that, one small step at a time. As part of that, he conducts research as part of the Aptamers lab through the Freshman Research Initiative, and is involved in a variety of different organizations on campus, including the Plan II Pre-Med organization, the Plan II Student Association, Nu Rho Psi, and others, as well as his most significant experience yet – the Walker Fellowship. In his free time, Athvait loves to watch movies (a true cinema addict) as well as sing - in the shower, in the dorm room, who cares - play cricket, and go for a coffee run (at odd hours of the night). Post his undergraduate education, he aspires to pursue a career in medicine and eradicate the social barriers that hinder patients from receiving the care they deserve.
C.D. McAdams
(They/Them)
C.D. McAdams is from College Station, Texas and is a third year Neuroscience and Plan II major. As well, they are a member of the Polymathic Scholars honors program, and as a sophomore are a peer mentor for freshman scholars. They do computational bioinformatics research under Dhivya Arasappan at the Center for Biomedical Research Support, currently focusing on a project concerning multiple sclerosis data. They are interested in effective altruism, but also in realizing that sometimes the most effective way to help others will feel wholly unoptimized. With two of their Plan II peers, they restarted the Plan II theatre group Broccoli project, and are a current producer and treasurer for the club. As well, they are part of the UT Triathlon Team, and a big fan of the Bevoman race that UT Tri hosts here in Austin (you should come compete!). In their free time, C.D. likes to go rock climbing, write bad songs on guitar, and make family-style meals with their friends. As well, they recommend listening to Headspace podcasts while going on runs. They’re working on learning how to actually meditate, but in the meantime an intentional run is a pretty good backup. After hopefully completing their undergraduate studies, C.D. plans to attend graduate school, likely for Computational Neuroscience. Preferably, they’d like to grow old striking an imperfect balance between academic research and tangible human impact. Hook ‘em!
Montgomery McClendon
(HE/Him)
Montgomery McClendon is a junior CBHP and Plan II major with a concentration in real estate. He enjoys learning about bird dog training, design, and abstract art.
Manasvi Perisetty
(SHE/HER)
Manasvi Perisetty is a second-year Electrical and Computer Engineering student. Growing up in Round Rock, Texas she has always been an active member of her local community. From volunteering at the Round Rock Serving Shelter to creating coding camps for local middle schoolers, she has always enjoyed immersing herself in her community. In addition, Manasvi is interested in immigration advocacy and is currently an advocate for the alleviation of the green-card backlogs. Her experiences as an advocate encouraged her to strive for similar environments at UT Austin. Manasvi loves the logical reasoning engineering provides her with, but she has always felt that there is a lack of direct human connection in that field. After joining the cohort, she discovered the value of human-centered thinking and aspires to implement that into her engineering journey. Manasvi is also the campus representative for National Center for Women in technology and seeks to provide a comforting community for women in engineering. She not only hopes to see changes in the gender disparity in her major at UT but hopes to develop an interest in engineering for the underrepresented around Austin.
Andre Pham
(HE/Him)
Andre is a second-year from Round Rock, Texas, double majoring in Plan II and a BS in psychology while on the pre-med track, with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist. After graduating high school, he began working on his EMT certification, which he hopes will help him assist the emergency care community. On campus, he is a member of Longhorn EMS and Camp Kesem, where he intends to contribute to helping others as much as possible. Growing up so close to Austin, Andre is excited to have the opportunity to continue his medical career so close to home. In his free time, Andre loves to hike around the Hill Country region of Texas, and play the cello, an instrument he’s played for over six years. He also plays for the Red River Ensemble, an orchestra that plays for patients and staff of St. David’s Hospital in Austin.
Andrew Samson
(hE/Him)
Andrew is a second-year Biochemistry major with the Polymathic Scholars Program. Also, he is pursuing the Spanish for Medical Professions Certificate. Growing up, Andrew was always involved with his community, organizing food drives for the North Texas Food Bank. It is this work that sparked a passion for promoting food security and equity. With the Walker Fellowship, Andrew hopes to make long-lasting relationships and positively impact the Austin community!
Hareem Musa
(SHE/HER)
Hareem Musa is a second year Plan II and Neuroscience student from San Antonio, Texas. Growing up, she was always fascinated by the realm of healthcare, but also had a passion for social advocacy. After taking "Pathways to Civic Engagement" taught by Lee Walker during her second semester, she realized that she didn't have to limit herself to just one journey. Through the Walker Fellowship, she hopes to combine her passions and help alleviate the healthcare gaps in our community. On campus, Hareem is a researcher in the Glow Worms Lab through Freshman Research Initiative. She also mentors students from KIPP Austin through the Plan II Krewe program that delves into the inequities in the U.S. public education system. As a member of the spirit organization, Texas Sweethearts, she loves to spend her weekends at the DKR during football season! In her free time, Hareem loves to go on late night drives, target runs, and spend time with her friends and family. After her undergraduate studies, she hopes to purse a career in medicine where she can use her skills to better the community as a whole.
Isabella Greco
(SHE/HER)
Isabella is a third-year Public Health major from Mount Pleasant, TX. She is pursuing a minor in Media Studies with a film concentration, a certificate in The Core Texas and Ideas through her participation in the Jefferson Scholars Program, and a certificate in pre-health professions on the pre-medical track. Growing up in a small, rural town, she has witnessed firsthand how inadequate access to medical care affects rural communities. She aims to positively impact rural communities like hers through volunteering, research, and the work she hopes to accomplish as a part of the Walker Fellowship. Isabella is involved at UT Austin through her position as the current philanthropy chair of Texas Sunshines, her membership in Women in Medicine, her position as a mentor in Women in STEM, and her membership in Texas Public Health. In her free time, Isabella loves to watch movies and television, listen to music, and go to coffee shops with friends. After her undergraduate studies, Isabella hopes to pursue a career in medicine and public health with the goal of improving accessibility to healthcare and medical resources for all.
Aadhunik Sundar
(HE/Him)
Aadhunik is a second-year student from Coppell, Texas. He is double majoring in Plan II and Biology on the pre-med track. He currently conducts research with Dr. Robert Newberry regarding protein misfolding and synthesizing amino acids. In his free time, Aadhunik loves to hoop at the gym, mess around on the saxophone, and read books from wildly varying cultures. He also loves to listen to music that ranges from bossa nova to London drill. After undergraduate studies, he hopes to attend medical school. He is extremely passionate about breaking down barriers in healthcare inequity