Abeba Amenshowa

Abeba Amenshowa was nine years old when she moved to the United States with her family from Ethiopia. She entered the University of Virginia as a Questbridge finalist and is graduating with a double major in Global Development Studies and Foreign Affairs. Her primary interests lie in participating in effective diplomacy by promoting knowledge exchange between public health institutions and fostering a global community to solve pressing health concerns.

Driven by her interest in global public health, Abeba has participated in Global Health Case Competitions, presenting on topics like how increasing HIV rates amongst women in Nicaragua could be addressed through an intervention program that includes mobile clinics and women’s workshops in collaboration with the Catholic church, a trusted institution within the country. This, in addition to her time on the student advisory board at the Center for Global Health Equity, has allowed her to approach current global health issues with an interdisciplinary lens and develop innovative solutions for ongoing health challenges.

Abeba plans to pursue a master’s degree in Global Health Policy in preparation to join the USAID Foreign Service as a Health Officer. She is committed to reforming health policy and advocating for at risk global communities. Her goal is to work at the intersection of public health and foreign affairs. By bridging these two disciplines, she will develop a multidisciplinary practice that addresses public health concerns and facilitates cooperation amongst nations.