Gabriela Galilea, Elvis Nukam Ndansi, Peter Ndayihereje and Vanessa Paranjothy – four members of the inaugural cohort of Obama Foundation Scholars – led a panel discussion this week in which they dove into topics including the personal stories that led them into careers dedicated to improving public health.

The scholars, each of whom has worked extensively in the sector in their home countries, shared a range of insights on their professional sector in a panel discussion geared towards Columbia students. The event, “Public Health Roundtable with Obama Scholars,” was co-organized by Columbia World Projects, which hosts the Scholars during their year-long residency on campus, and the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement.

“There are a lot of challenges, of course, but just take it in your stride,” Paranjothy, who founded Freedom Cups, a Singapore-based organization that distributes menstrual cups to women who may not otherwise have access to hygiene products, told students about working in the public health sector, adding: “The no’s are just as important as the yes’s.” Read more of what the Scholars had to say at the event in the Columbia Spectator's article on the event.