Kara Boninsegna

Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program

I was born in Hartford, Connecticut and raised in Berlin, Connecticut. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in health science studies from Quinnipiac University in 2021.
While at Quinnipiac, I volunteered extensively in the community: with the Quinnipiac University Community Action Project, I helped administer health care to precarious populations, and with the university’s Habitat for Humanity program, I advocated for and constructed housing for people without homes. I also volunteered with the more profession specific Pre-PA Club, performing the duties of a PA free of charge. Off campus, I have worked professionally as a certified nursing assistant at a skilled nursing facility. There, I helped patients with their daily activities and monitored their health status.
I want to become an Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholar because I wish to see a world where our most vulnerable populations are cared for, where people come together for the sake of the community rather than individual gain, and where small acts can make a big difference. For my senior capstone, I researched the staggering rates of maternal and infant mortality in the black community, using statistics and case studies to identify the disproportionate rates of black mothers and newborn babies who were dying. My research sought to discover how health care providers can become more racially competent, and what systemic adjustments health care organizations can make to provide better, more equitable service to patients of color. Becoming a UST/AS participant will help me enact the change I wish for, and allow me to grow personally and as a future provider. It let me to step out of my comfort zone and learn how to see and care for my future patients.