The Office for Equity and Diversity’s SEED awards program honors and acknowledges diverse students who are doing outstanding work at the University of Minnesota, both in and out of the classroom. Currently, Hai is serving as president of the student group Circle of Giving which is a group dedicated to eliminating health disparities and raising awareness to both faculty and students. She decided to get involved with equity and diversity work after growing up with parents who are from Vietnam who had some difficulties both culturally and economically. Through various programs, Minnesota’s Future Doctors, the Center for Health Equity Undergraduate Research Program and volunteering, Hai heard similar stories about people having difficulties with the health care system and she made it her mission to eliminate health care struggles.
When she graduates from the University of Minnesota, she plans to attend Medical School, hopefully here at the University of Minnesota. She plans to obtain her MD/MPH to work with underserved communities and to do community-based research looking into areas that prevent minorities from preventative care and to increase access to health care for underserved communities.
To learn more about the SEED awards and how to become involved in the University of Minnesota’s Office for Equity and Diversity.