Arianna D'Agosto

UConn School of Nursing

I am a first-generation American born in Stamford and raised in East Lyme, Connecticut. I am currently working towards my Bachelor of Science at the School of Nursing at UConn.

This past summer, I interned at the Yale New Haven Hospital as part of the Elderly Horizons Program. Interns in this program work to prevent delirium in elderly patients. I helped patients with mobility, recreation, orientation, and socialization in order to prevent the downward mental and physical spiral that can occur during hospital stays. I have also traveled with the UConn Medical Brigade to Panama, where I shadowed physicians, worked in triage, and screened patients for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Finally, I have been a mentor for Kids & UConn Bridging Education (KUBE). In KUBE, disadvantaged middle school children from nearby urban areas come to UConn for a fun day of activities fostering literacy, educational aspiration, and social skills.

My background and these volunteer and medical experiences have deepened my commitment to community health and to helping Connecticut’s urban underserved population. As I learned about the devastation Hurricane Maria caused in Puerto Rico and the massive exodus of families leaving the island, some arriving in Connecticut, I came to believe in a tremendous need for action. I would like to become a voice for these communities and, in doing so, to empower them; by joining the Urban Service Track I believe can achieve these goals.