Eric grew up in Burundi and Tanzania, and he came to the United States in the sixth grade without knowing a word of English. But despite his initial struggles to master the new language, Eric embraced the challenge, pushing himself to take the most challenging AP English courses at his school and using the lessons learned to excel in his studies and his competitive running. As a student at Columbia, Eric embraced the challenge of moving to New York, running on Columbia’s cross country and track teams, interning at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, taking advantage of all the city has to offer, and conducting research with world-renowned public health research Dr. Joseph Graziano. Compassionate and thoughtful, Eric is truly excited to push himself even further to pursue a career in public health. He is currently enrolled in the Masters in Public Health program at Columbia University’s top Mailman School of Public Health.
