When Morgan Mirth was a child, her father was permanently disabled in a car accident. She watched as he navigated the often-complicated healthcare system with its “disjointed and impersonal care,” says Mirth. His disabilities, particularly his brain damage, “sparked my interest in the brain and a belief in the importance of comprehensive, family-centered healthcare.”
With a deep-rooted devotion to helping underserved people, the Bethlehem, Pa. native spent time as a tutor and worked as a Health Education Volunteer with the Peace Corps in a rural village in Mauritania, West Africa. While assigned to a health post, she focused predominantly on malaria prevention, malnutrition, maternal & child health and sanitation.
“I have a lot of experience working with children, and going abroad solidified that,” says Mirth. “Starting [with children] early on, it allows you to put them on a better track and set the foundation for better health.”
Mirth, currently an accelerated baccalaureate student, came to Hopkins for its Pediatrics Nurse Practitioner Program—and for another opportunity to work abroad. Her Hopkins education is made possible by the Alexander Wilson Schweizer Scholarship, which supports students preparing for careers serving vulnerable populations.
“As someone who has been interested in helping those who are in need and underprivileged, I think that this is a great opportunity for me,” Mirth says.