Scholarship winners Anne Jean Baptiste, Luis Tun and Jay-Miguel Fonticella are working to improve health equity in underserved communities
SAN FRANCISCO—November 17, 2021—Together with Prevention Institute, Healthline Media has announced the winners of the 2021 Stronger Scholarship program: Anne Jean Baptiste, Luis Tun and Jay-Miguel Fonticella.
Jean Baptiste, Tun and Fonticella will each receive $7,000, for a total of $21,000 in scholarship funds. Since the launch of the Stronger Scholarship in 2017, Healthline has awarded more than $100,000 to 17 students using their education to improve the health and wellness landscape. Previous scholarships focused on mental health, in partnership with NAMI, and nutrition and food stability, in partnership with Feeding America. This year’s scholarship is focused on addressing health inequities in Black, Hispanic/Latinx and Indigenous communities.
“Healthline’s mission is to create a stronger, healthier world for all people. Through this scholarship, we are proud to advance the work of outstanding students who share this vision and are taking action to address health inequities in Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities,” said Laurie Dewan, Vice President of Brand Insights and Communications at Healthline Media. “We’re thankful to Prevention Institute for helping us identify and reward these inspiring future leaders.”
Advancing the work of future leaders in health equity
The Healthline Stronger Scholarship was created for exceptional college and university students improving health outcomes, with this year's theme being health equity. Scholarship winners were selected based on volunteer hours, community service and extracurriculars, and an essay they wrote identifying a current obstacle to health equity and how they plan to address it.
Anne Jean Baptiste is a public health and international studies double major at the University of Miami. She has worked with Gift of Life, Planned Parenthood, Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), the Florida Department of Health, The AIDS Institute, and UNICEF to promote awareness, education and activism for HIV, sexual health and healthcare field work. She has also worked to ensure pregnant Black women receive quality treatment. Jean Baptiste plans to use the scholarship funds to gain the undergraduate experience needed to pursue a masters degree in public health to continue her work in HIV and STI treatment and prevention.
Luis Tun is a political science major at the University of Southern California. He has worked with the Westminster Free Clinic, which provides free healthcare to low-income and uninsured families. He also works with SALUD (Student Advocates Leading Uplifting Decisions) to help bring education and healthcare resources to the Latinx community. Tun will use the scholarship to complete his political science degree so that he can continue helping the Latinx community address affordable housing, which he views as a critical, actionable way to achieve greater health equity in Latinx populations.
Jay-Miguel Fonticella is a biology major at Tufts University. One of their most impactful efforts has been monitoring malnutrition and cognitive progress of Indigenous children through la Clínica 32 Volcanes in Guatemala, Fonticella’s home country. They have noted that BIPOC individuals in Guatemala and the U.S. are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular conditions, COVID-19 and food insecurity and that LGBTQ+ individuals often lack the sexual health care they need. Fonticella plans to work on large-scale, community-oriented approaches to these inequities.
“At Prevention Institute we recognize that young people are actively changing the world by bringing new ideas, strategies and perspectives that create healthy, vibrant, equitable communities,” added Manal Aboelata, Prevention Institute’s Deputy Executive Director. “We are honored to partner with Healthline on this year’s Stronger Scholarship as part of our commitment to cultivating and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders to be bold, authentic and tenacious as they pursue health equity and racial justice in their communities. We applaud this year’s winners for their leadership and wish them all the very best.”
About Healthline Media
Healthline Media is the leading digital health and wellness property, reaching the most people on their road to well-being. The company delivers expert insights with a clear, human voice through its content, communities, and services. Healthline Media connects its partners with more than 94 million people each month (ComScore, August 2021) across its brand portfolio (which includes Healthline.com, MedicalNewsToday.com, Greatist.com, and PsychCentral.com), and connects its audiences with solutions to help them live fuller, richer lives. The company publishes more than 1,500 pieces of content a month, created by more than 250 writers, and reviewed by more than 125 medical experts, doctors, and clinicians. Every program and piece of content is purpose-built to make an impact, and make wellness attainable for people everywhere. Healthline Media uses its platform to advocate for a more inclusive and equitable approach to wellness. Throughout its history, Healthline Media’s mission and vision have stayed constant: to make a stronger, healthier world. Healthline Media is based in San Francisco and owned by Red Ventures.
Media Contact:
Stacey Grimsrud
Bospar Public Relations
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