Meet the 2024 Project AHEAD Interns

Anna Ni

Anna Ni is a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing with a minor in health care services management. She is passionate about exploring various aspects of health care beyond direct patient care that influences patient experience and community health outcomes, such as health care policies, innovations, management, and beyond. After graduation, Anna aspires to become an adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, hoping to improve the standard of living for the grandparents in her community.

Bishesh Subba

Bishesh Subba is a rising senior at Williams College, majoring in chemistry, with a concentration in public health, and on the pre-medical track. His interest in health care stemmed from his experience as an immigrant navigating the U.S. health care system. Early on, he understood the challenges caused by language, cultural barriers, and other social determinants of health. After graduation, Bishesh hopes to attend medical school and become a culturally competent health care advocate.

Brian Ruan

Brian Ruan is a rising senior at Cornell University, majoring in health care policy. Dedicated to shaping the future of health care, his interests lie in the economic intricacies of health systems, particularly with a focus on behavioral economics and provider reimbursement models. His commitment to advocacy strengthened while working as a medical assistant at a primary care clinic in Chinatown. Having witnessed disparities in health care access, he wishes to educate patients about health insurance options and how to access affordable care. Brian hopes to pursue a career as a physician, serving rural and underserved communities.

Cindy Liu

Cindy Liu is a rising junior at Fordham University, majoring in psychology and double-minoring in Mandarin and computer science. She is passionate about studying racial discrimination, stress generation, child and adolescent development, and developing unique interventions for youth in the modern context. After graduation, Cindy hopes to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology and work in the health care setting, serving underrepresented youth and working towards de-stigmatizing the conversation about mental health.

Fanny Zheng

Fanny Zheng is a rising junior at Stony Brook University, majoring in biology and minoring in health, medicine, and society. She is passionate about advocacy work and community service. As a former Community Health Services intern at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), she advocated for the AAPI community and climate change by creating social media content and worked with other community-based organizations to combat anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fanny intends to pursue a career in health care to continue to give back to her community.

Gordon Zhang

Gordon Zhang is a rising junior at Vassar College, majoring in biochemistry and on the pre-med track. He is a certified New York state EMT-B, the secretary of Vassar College EMS, and recently joined the Little Neck-Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps. Gordon is passionate about improving access to health care for low-income and undocumented communities—especially mental health resources. He plans to pursue a medical degree and Master of Public Health degree and go into primary care to open a community health center, advocating for improvements in the health care system to reduce the health disparities in underserved communities.

Jarvinia Li

Jarvinia Li is a rising senior at Hunter College, majoring in public health. After graduation, she aims to pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology or community health, with the goal of working in New York City to improve health outcomes for the local underserved communities. Jarvinia is eager to learn more about Asian American community health in New York City.

Jonathan Ng

Jonathan Ng is a rising junior at Emory University, majoring in chemistry and on the pre-med track. His interest in health care began when he founded the Brave Bystanders organization to teach CPR to members of his community. Over the past three years, he has held CPR demonstrations at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center’s Good Health Day events. He aspires to become a physician and work with underserved communities.

Minchae Kim

Minchae Kim is a rising senior at Brown University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health with a certificate in data science fluency. She is one of the vice presidents of the Korean American Students Association and is passionate about creating a space for students of Korean and non-Korean heritage to share and celebrate Korean traditions, culture, and values. After graduation, Minchae will continue her studies and pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology as part of the five-year Undergraduate Masters of Public Health program at Brown.

Monich Long

Monich Long is a rising junior at Harvard University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history and science with a secondary focus in global health and health policy. She is passionate about improving access to and quality of health care in underserved communities, with a focus on tackling the social determinants of health through tailored interventions based on a comprehensive awareness of local paradigms. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a medical degree and Master of Public Health degree and work at the intersection of medicine, policy, and global health.

Sadia Onamika

Sadia Onamika is a senior at Hunter College, majoring in public health and double-minoring in psychology and Asian American studies. Her interest in these subjects has motivated her to advocate for and work with marginalized communities on combating health disparities. Through Hunter’s Public Service Scholar Program, she worked in immigrant services at a government agency, where she conducted extensive research on resources for immigrant families in all five boroughs of New York City and provided immigration assistance for clients who are victims of crimes. She plans to attend graduate school to earn dual Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health degrees and work on improving the well-being of New Yorkers.

Wenjun Hou

Wenjun Hou is a rising junior, pursuing a biology degree at the University of Rochester. He is involved in the Minority Association of Premedical Students, which aims to bridge the gap in access to opportunities within the medical field among students from diverse backgrounds. Wenjun hopes to explore a variety of health care careers, deepening his understanding of different ways to bridge the gap in health care access among individuals from diverse backgrounds and, ultimately, find solutions to address unmet community needs.

Alice Vo

Program Coordinator
Project AHEAD

Born and raised in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Alice is excited for the opportunity to not only contribute to her community but also have meaningful conversations on how history, culture, and class continue to shape people’s health and health-seeking behaviors.