Senior, John F. Kennedy High School
Having moved to the United States from Ethiopia when she was 5, Hewan Kidanemariam is aware of inequities in the world especially when it comes to health care. She says her early interest in medicine was influenced by her mother, who was a medical aide during that country’s civil war and would tell stories of bandaging wounded soldiers.
“It really comes down to impact. There are other professions where you can help people, but it’s more indirect,” says Hewan, 17, who lives in Silver Spring and aspires to be a physician. “In health care, you have a more intimate relationship with a patient and a direct impact on a patient’s life.”