Irène Mathieu

irene

Murray 1693 Scholar

Hometown

Winchester, VA (John Handley High School)

Major

International Relations

Particularly interested in international development, human rights, and public health.
Other academic interests include English, Linguistics and languages (Spanish, Arabic, Italian), Anthropology, Music, and Philosophy.

W&M Accomplishments

Fulbright Research Fellowship for post graduate study of health care and gender in Dominican Republic
Benjamin Stoddert Ewell Award for outstanding participation and leadership
William & Mary Walk the Talk Award for community/public service
Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List, Mortar Board
Freshman honor societies Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma

Extracurriculars at W&M

Multicultural Ambassador Council, South Asian Student Association, the Roosevelt Institution, Mosaic House, College Partnership for Kids, Community Partnership for Adult Learners (an ESL tutoring program)
Acted in W&M's 2007 Mainstage Production of Ramayana La'ar
Multicultural Recruitment Intern at William & Mary's Office of Admissions and the student representative to the College's Study Abroad Committee.
Member of the Student Organization for Medical Outreach and Sustainability (SOMOS) and senior co-leader for the 2008-2009 team as well as a representative to the International Service Trip Council.

Study Abroad

Florence, Italy through William & Mary's program (Summer 2006) - lived with a host family and took classes in Italian language and Renaissance Art
Cusco, Peru with ProWorld Service Corps (Spring 2008) - lived with a host family, took classes in Spanish, and participated in ProWorld's sustainable development projects around Cusco.

Future goals

Master's in Public Health and attend medical school.
Interested in an approach to health care as a human right and in seeking culturally and environmentally sustainable solutions to some of the most pervasive medical problems facing impoverished and marginalized populations throughout the world.

Why W&M?

I chose William & Mary for a combination of factors, including proximity to home, size of the school, location, the liberal arts program, cost (and the value of the education for the cost) and (the overriding factor) my admission to the Murray Scholars program. With respect to the Murray Scholars program, I was drawn in particular by the close faculty mentoring, nearly unlimited access to all the resources offered by the school, and unique opportunities to meet with distinguished visitors to the College.

Since I have been enrolled at William & Mary, however, I have discovered countless other aspects of the school that reaffirm my decision. I could never have known before coming here, for instance, the competency of my professors or the enthusiasm of the student body for their overwhelming number of activities and for their earnest desire to make a difference. I firmly believe that a school is defined by its people - students and teachers alike - and according to this definition, William & Mary is high on the rankings in my book.

Where am I now?

I am in med school at Vanderbilt. I just finished my third year and I'm just starting a year of full-time, paid research as part of the Vanderbilt Medical Scholars program. My research focuses on childhood obesity prevention in underserved communities, and it's part of a large study out of the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. I'm keeping both sides of my brain active by writing and publishing poems in many venues while at the same time continuing sociological research on medical care among the under-privileged. My research project is titled Common Themes, Common Solutions: Intimate Partner Violence in Nashville's Latino Community. I'm also interested in the impact of migration/urbanization, built environment, and international foreign and economic policy on health in marginalized communities. I think I want to do my residency in pediatrics, followed by a Master's in Public Health.