Tawana Gray

UConn School of Nursing

I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the United States when I was ten years old. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in nursing at UConn Storrs, and plan to graduate in 2022.

During previous summers, I worked at an adult day care center, where I assisted the nursing staff with everyday tasks and socialized with the participants in the day care. I have also worked as a girl scout camp counselor at a day camp. There, my duties involved monitoring groups of children and leading them in various camp assignments and activities.

I sought involvement in Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program after researching the program and seeing all the positive feedback the program received from alumni and collaborators. It was described as a unique opportunity for medical professionals to work with underserved urban communities and on teams that spanned disciplinary boundaries, and to gain new skills and capacities working with both groups. I want to learn about the health issues faced by vulnerable populations so that I can make a positive impact in their communities. Eventually, I hope to be able to improve patients’ health outcomes not just in the clinic or hospital, but outside of it, by addressing social determinants of health; the UST/AS Program will allow me to do just that.