Will Froelich Honors Fellowship Program

Last week, the Will Fellows gathered at Epilogue over coffee and muffins to welcome the spring semester. Will Fellows enjoyed reuniting with peers and discussing the many ways they hope to use their fellowship funds this summer. We look forward to sharing more events and news about our fellows throughout the spring semester. Go Heels!

The Will Fellows Program Fall Reception is a tradition that unites all four cohorts for conversation, brunch, music, and an opportunity to show gratitude to the Froelich Family. Additionally, fellows engaged with four impressive Will Fellow Program graduates during our first-ever Will Fellows Alumni Panel. Rishi Aghera ’24, Anna Baechtold ’23, Matthew Gillespie ’23, and Megan Wohlfarth ’24 served as panelists and Mary Pope Bourne ‘27 moderated the session. Finally, the event closed with remarks by Meghan Gosk (Will Fellows Program Director), Jim Leloudis (Associate Dean of Honors Carolina), and Molly and Henry Froelich (Program Founders). Filled with laughter and vibrant energy, the event was a wonderful reminder of Will Froelich’s inspirational legacy.

I am grateful to announce my acceptance into the Business of Health minor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Thank you to my mentor Meghan Gosk?for her continued support throughout the application process. I look forward to meeting the BOH cohort and learning from program leaders, including Zoey Kernodle?and Susanne Killian, PhD.

The Will Fellows gathered prior to Fall Break with a dinner catered by Brandwein's Bagels followed by a fun, yet competitive trivia match! The fellows enjoyed taking a study break to bond with their peers, particularly the fellows partaking in the Will Fellows Mentorship Program this semester. Will Fellows came with a competitive spirit, making the night a wonderful opportunity to spark new relationships and laugh off the midterm stress. ?? ??

Last week, Will Fellows had the opportunity to reconnect, play games, and discuss their plans for the new semester at the Welcome Back Event. The night began with introductory remarks by Program Director, Meghan Gosk, and wrapped up with newfound relationships between our incoming fellows and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Will Fellows. The event marked the initiation of the Will Fellow’s Mentorship Program, as mentors and mentees had the chance to meet and spark connections that will take root in the weeks to come. Filled with laughter, team-bonding, acai bowls, and Brandwein’s bagels, the Welcome Back Event was truly an amazing start to the fall semester!

Reflecting on an unforgettable summer studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark! ???? For three weeks this summer, I took PSYC 490, "Society and the Developing Brain," under the guidance of UNC Psychology professor Dr. Margaret Sheridan. Through this course I delved into the neurocognitive development of Scandinavian children, exploring why they are said to be the happiest children in the world. This opportunity was a dream come true, made possible entirely free of cost thanks to both the Will Froelich Honors Fellowship and UNC Summer Study Abroad Fellowship. A special thank you to Meghan Gosk, my Will Fellows program director, for her invaluable guidance and support throughout this journey. Grateful for this experience and the chance to learn and grow in such a vibrant city! #StudyAbroad #Copenhagen #Psychology #FellowshipGratitude

I am grateful to share my experience taking a month-long Honors Carolina Burch Field Research Seminar focused on human rights and international law in The Netherlands and Bosnia. Alongside 16 fellow students, I visited the International Criminal Court, the Peace Palace, housing the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and the OSCE in Sarajevo and Mostar. Studying in Bosnia, where many buildings are plastered with sniper’s bullet holes, was certainly an apt place to learn. Hearing from Bosnians who lived through the war, I gained insight into the resilience of a nation post-conflict. Throughout the trip, we met with human rights professionals, renowned lawyers, and interacted with many smaller NGOs and nonprofits. Each encounter shed light on the crucial role these organizations play in upholding international justice and human rights. Meeting with each of them, one theme was clear: each of us contributes and has the power to incite change. I am excited to continue this human rights-centric journey next year at Sciences Po Paris, where I’ll be working toward a Certificate in the Social Sciences and Humanities during the 2024-2025 academic year through classes with an emphasis on international action, international justice, and methods of upholding human rights. Thank you to Meghan Gosk and the Will Froelich Honors Fellowship Program, which supports UNC students in embodying a spirit of positive impact in Will Froelich’s honor. It’s an honor to continue Will’s adventurous, curious, and impactful legacy.

Having had visited New York a handful of times before my internship this summer, the city resembled a collection of places, abstract dreams, and unimaginably tall buildings. I felt no permanence in a space that my mind had always carved out as a tourist destination. Nevertheless, after spending 9 weeks working for Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service (IHCD), New York now reads like a book in its richness of life, community, and lessons learned. This summer, I worked as an intern for the Access to Telehealth for Cancer Patients project (AcT), which provides navigation and refurbished telehealth devices to cancer patients throughout New York. As an AcT intern, I had the opportunity to streamline the following 5 tasks: 1) Data Entry: At the food pantries located at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx and Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, I employed the REDCap database to enter quantitative and qualitative data relevant to our patients’ demographics and food pick-ups. Additionally, I conducted 2- and 6-month follow-up AcT surveys on REDCap in Spanish and English that informed our staff of project uptake and potential needs for navigation. 2) Data Cleaning: Utilizing the REDCap database, I undertook qualitative data cleaning to remove duplicate identification markers within the system, ultimately streamlining data extraction and retrieval. 3) Collaboration with the FOOD Team: MSK’s FOOD program aims to improve patient health outcomes and treatment uptake through providing food to patients undergoing cancer treatment. Twice a week, I worked at Montefiore and King’s County hospitals to provide patients with these essential needs. 4) Device Distributions & Navigation: I oversaw the preparation, distribution, and in-person navigation of various devices provided by the program. 5) Training: At the close of my internship, I trained the incoming AcT intern on the REDCap database to guarantee quality assurance during the completion of follow-up surveys in both Spanish and English. Through working with low-income cancer patients, I gained insights into the illnesses embedded within our own healthcare system and likewise left the city fueled by a desire to fix them. Most notably, I learned to never shy away from understanding your stakeholders at the community level. Likewise, in her book Manifesto for a Moral Revolution, Jacqueline Novogratz states, “we miss many opportunities by assuming we have the answers.” Moreover, had I never have had the blessing of learning from—and being challenged by—the most incredible group of patients and staff. I extend my sincerest gratitude to Natalie Alvarez for presenting me with the opportunity to work at MSK’s IHCD this summer and to the Will Froelich Honors Fellowship Program led by Meghan Gosk for funding my experience this summer. Additionally, I am extremely thankful to have had the privilege to work and learn under Leeza Menon and the team at the IHCD Service.