Category: Post-baccalaureate Health Equity Ambassadors

Originally hailing from Ghana West Africa, Alethea Amponsah was raised in Providence, RI and graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development. After a brief internship with Dr. David L. Mount in the fall of 2010, she relocated from RI and turned her attention to developing the appropriate research skills necessary to aid in closing the many gaps evident in minority healthcare. Alethea now serves as a Health Equity Ambassador, Data Coordinator and trainee within Dr. Mount’s lab, investigating the many aspects of health care suffering from persistent inconsistencies in quality, accessibility and beyond. As an avid advocate for the promotion of overall mind and body wellness, she has dedicated her endeavors under Dr. Mount’s guidance to spreading this message to all communities. Alethea’s academic interests include abnormal psychology, neuropathology and phrenology and will begin pursuing her PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology while continuing to lend to the mission of eliminating health disparities and promoting awareness around the importance of mind-body wellness.

Erica Sickelbaugh, a native of North Carolina, is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with an anticipated graduation in May 2012. She is a 2010 graduate from North Carolina State University with a dual degree in microbiology and biology with a minor in Spanish. During her time at NC State she had opportunities to serve in public health facets in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. It was these trips abroad that helped to spark her interest in health disparities and healthcare education outreach. During her graduate studies, Erica has served as a graduate research assistant with a statewide initiative to reduce teen pregnancies and provide support for pregnant and parenting teens and young women. She has also spent time in Zambia working on a public health initiative involving home health care and HIV/AIDS. Erica is also a Certified Nursing Assistant I working at the Emergency Room of Wake Forest Baptist Health – Lexington Medical Center. Her career aspirations include going to physician assistant school in order to better serve those domestically and globally that face health care disparities.

Kristyn A. Bridges, originally from Charlotte, NC, received her B.A. in Sociology from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 2010. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Mental Health Counseling (Rehabilitation Counseling) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Kristyn is a Rehabilitation Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Scholar. Being a scholar has allowed her the opportunity to attend professional conferences, which has provided her with pluthera knowledge in the counseling and psychology professions. Kristyn has a special interest in working with clients with severe mental disabilities.Kristyn plans to obtain her M.S. in May 2013 and pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology shortly after.

Ms. Orita McCorkle, a native of North Carolina, is a 2007 graduate of Wake Forest University. After graduating with a B.A. in psychology, Orita worked as a research specialist at the Maya Angelou Center on Minority Health (now named the Maya Angelou Center of Health Equity). Orita worked under the mentorship and guidance of Dr. David L. Mount and Kristen G. Hairston to address the issues created by the relationship between one’s mind, body and spirit. Orita is currently earning a dual Master degree in Divinity and Counseling to further her work on this important topic. She hopes to encourage other to become informed and empowered to take care of their mind, body and spirit.