Our mission

To amplify refugee voices by sharing their stories & advocating for accessible, equitable healthcare.

To learn more about our collaboration with Casa Marianella, check out our instagram @carebeyondbordersut

What We’ve Done

The Healthcare cohort was created in Fall 2022. Our initial focus was opening a free clinic on West Campus for the homeless and underserved population. Through our working iterations, this later became a project to amplify refugee voices and stories regarding health and wellness. Aditionally, we operate health initiatives in association with Casa Marianella, including 5K runs and ESL health classes.

Our next steps are expanding our wellness initiatives and compiling these stories into a book to create a capsule of the impact these stories have on the world.

Check out our instagram @carebeyondbordersut for more info and to see our first media project!

Athvait Manikantan

(HE/Him)

Athvait is a fourth-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 is involved in a variety of organizations on campus, including Camp Kesem, the HEAL (Healthcare Equity, Access, and Leadership) Initiative, research on bimanual dexterity training on stroke rehabilitation with the Jones Lab, 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, 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.

Andrew Samson

(hE/Him)

Andrew is a fourth-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 fourth 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.

Rylei Ripley

(SHE/HER)

Rylei is a third year biology major with the Health Science Scholars Program from McAllen, TX. She is also pursuing the Spanish for Medical Professionals Certificate. Outside of school she works as an MA and does pediatric clinical research. In her free time she enjoys any spontaneous excursion! She also hopes to pursue medicine, in doing so assisting diverse communities.