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Angel Sajous

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Biotechnology
  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Global Health
  • Nutrition and Health

Reading

  • Academic
  • Biography
  • Health
  • Cultural

I read books multiple times a week.

Bio

Originally from Haiti and raised in Miami, I am a rising junior at Duke University deeply committed to advancing healthcare access and immigration reform. My personal journey as an immigrant has shaped my passion for medicine—not only as a means of healing individuals, but also as a pathway to advocate for underserved communities. At Duke, I am pursuing a Biology and Global Health co-major to prepare me for a future in medicine, with a particular focus on global health equity and technology. I am especially interested in the intersections between healthcare, social justice, and policy, and I aspire to use my platform to uplift immigrant voices and improve health outcomes for marginalized populations.

Education

Duke University

Bachelor's degree program

2023 – 2027

Majors:
  • Public Health
  • Biology, General

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Majors of interest:
Biology, General, Public Health
Desired degree modality:
In-Person
Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Medical Practice
Dream career goals:
Physician
Work experience:
0 years
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Kayla Nicole Monk Memorial Scholarship
Growing up in Haiti, where access to healthcare was a luxury, I witnessed firsthand how the lack of emergency medical resources contributed to my father’s death. No ambulances were available to respond to his emergency, and there was no blood in the hospitals to perform a life-saving surgery, illuminating the devastating consequences of systemic healthcare inequities. This personal loss shaped my resolve to pursue medicine, not only to honor his memory but also as a means to address the gaps in healthcare that have profoundly affected families like mine. Following my father's death, my mother quit her factory job in Haiti, and we moved to America in search of a safer life. As I grew older, I began to understand the weight of the responsibilities she carried and the sacrifices she made to give us opportunities she never had. My mother led her life to serve. Watching her, I began to understand that the opportunities she had sacrificed so much to give me were not just mine to enjoy, but mine to share. Years later, I found myself drawing on both my mother's example and my own experiences as the eldest daughter of an immigrant family. I sat across from refugees who were navigating the same unfamiliar language and culture that had once overwhelmed me. Through Refugee Assistance Alliance, I began tutoring refugees in English, assisting with immigration paperwork, and helping with job applications. As a first-generation immigrant, I connected deeply with my students and personalized our lessons to incorporate real-world scenarios, from grocery shopping to doctor's appointments to ordering at a restaurant. With each lesson, I watched them grow more comfortable communicating in a language that had once seemed so foreign to the both of us. What began as a way to give back became something much more personal. I had once seen my immigrant experience as a series of obstacles to overcome, but now I recognized it as something that allowed me to connect with and support others. My desire to pursue medicine is both a professional aspiration and a profoundly personal quest shaped by my life experiences in both Haiti and America. I hope to become a physician who not only provides compassionate, individualized care to patients but also advocates for them, especially when circumstances limit their access to it. While working at a small family medicine clinic in Miami, I learned how language barriers and cultural differences became obstacles to personalized patient care. Exploring how social determinants of health impact patients with an orthopedic surgeon at Duke Hospital taught me how physician-led initiatives can directly improve patient outcomes. All my experiences have shown me that being a physician extends beyond patient care to challenging and transforming the systems that determine access to care. Throughout my education, I will develop the skills to design novel solutions to make healthcare more accessible to immigrant and underserved populations. As I look forward to earning my MD at Icahn, I am thrilled to deepen my commitment to outreach through the East Harlem Outreach Clinic and the Mt. Sinai Human Rights program to learn about the needs of underserved populations. To me, receiving this scholarship means one step closer to receiving my education, one step closer to advocating for those whose voices aren't heard and listening to those who feel cast aside. As I continue on my journey to medicine, I will always cherish the opportunity to honor my father and deliver the care he wasn’t able to receive.
Future Leaders Scholarship
The first time I saw the kids at Toussaint Louverture Elementary light up over something as simple as new pencils, I realized leadership wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, it was about showing up, listening, and serving my community. I founded Hope4Haiti during my sophomore year of high school, originally to support orphanages back home. Haiti had always been my anchor, the place where I was born, where I lost my father, and where I learned what it meant to survive on grit. Watching the country I loved continue to suffer from political unrest and crumbling infrastructure, I wanted to do something to help. I started small by collecting school supplies, organizing donation drives, and reaching out to family friends still living in Port-au-Prince. But then reality hit: political instability made it impossible to ship supplies safely. For a minute, I felt like I had failed. But leadership means knowing when to pivot. So I looked around and realized that Little Haiti, just a short drive from where I lived in Miami, was full of kids who needed the same support. That’s when Hope4Haiti grew into something bigger. We began sponsoring five Title I schools in Little Haiti, hosting annual school supply drives and working directly with administrators to identify gaps. When I heard that Toussaint Louverture Elementary didn’t have a computer lab, I got to work. I applied for grants, hosted fundraisers, and even knocked on small business doors asking for gently used tech. It took months but eventually, we built a fully functioning lab for over 300 students. Watching them explore websites like Duolingo and BrainPop for the first time was surreal. It wasn’t just about access but opportunity. We didn’t stop there. I collaborated with the yearbook committee at my high school to design the school’s first-ever yearbook. Seeing their faces as they flipped through the pages, pointing to photos, laughing, feeling seen, was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was proud to have given them something that couldn’t be erased or forgotten. It wasn’t always smooth. Coordinating with school administrators, managing volunteers, and organizing drives while balancing schoolwork wasn’t easy. There were moments I was overwhelmed, burned out, and unsure if it was all going to come together. But I learned how to delegate, how to trust my team, and how to keep going even when things didn’t go to plan. I grew into someone who could move through challenges with purpose and keep people motivated even when we were tired. That experience transformed how I lead in every part of my life. Whether mentoring refugee students, building out research proposals, or leading group projects in global health, I carry the same mindset: listen first, act with intention, and always center the people you're trying to serve. As I move into a career in medicine and public health, I plan to take what I’ve learned from Hope4Haiti and apply it on a larger scale. I want to design community-based health programs that aren’t just about treating patients but empowering them. I want to build clinics in Haiti that don’t just provide medicine, but start change deep within the roots of my community. Hope4Haiti started as a simple idea. But in building it, I found my voice, my purpose, and my belief in the kind of leader I want to be. I hope to one lead with heart, humility, and action.
Angel Sajous Student Profile | Bold.org