CHARTING BRIGHT FUTURES

Brooke Holland, Oxford College

Prospective Major: Political Science (Pre-Law)
Hometown: Miami, Florida

Brooke Holland comes to Oxford College and Emory with a passion for advocating for her peers. Early in high school, she witnessed firsthand the bullying and harassment of her fellow classmates and decided to do something about it. Her efforts at first were rebuffed, but she collected evidence and testimonials and brought the matter up with top school administrators, prompting a schoolwide Zoom call involving more than 150 students, parents and teachers. By speaking out and not letting up, she helped ensure lasting changes were made. “Injustices are always happening, and too often it is because people are afraid to raise their voices or take action,” she says.

Holland continued to be a catalyst for change in high school, creating a community program to help spread awareness about human trafficking. She visited churches, schools, youth groups and local organizations where she talked to kids of all ages on the dangers of human trafficking and the need to remove the stigma about discussing it openly. “I wanted to change the culture in which human trafficking was festering,” she says. “I wanted to show people the power of speaking up and speaking out.”

Now at Oxford, it's no surprise that Holland wants to study political science and pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer — a job where she can tangibly help people in need, especially for people like herself who face racial disparities every day. She sees a future where she makes a serious foray into politics and runs for U.S. Congress or even president. If she sticks to the law, then maybe she’ll take a seat on the Supreme Court. “I want to be in a position where I can make the biggest impact,” she says.

Those lofty dreams will start to take shape at Oxford this fall. Holland visited the campus last year and immediately fell in love with its beauty and positive vibes. “When I stepped onto campus,” she says, “I remember tearing up” because she had found her new home. “I was just so impressed to the attention to detail at Oxford, as well as everyone’s honesty and transparency, all qualities that I value highly in my personal life,” she adds.

In addition to her passion for law, Holland is a dancer and actor, with a rich background in performing arts. She hopes to continue these pursuits at Oxford and Emory, if possible. She notes the time and energy she has devoted to both her artistic and academic pursuits have helped her develop a strong work ethic and sense of determination.

Ultimately, it is her goal to return to Miami and deploy the knowledge and skills she’s gained to advocate for youth and fight injustices in her hometown community wherever she sees them.

Danny Klein, Emory College 

Prospective Major: Business (with Spanish minor)
Hometown: Highland Park, Illinois

Above all else, Danny Klein hopes his college years at Emory are fun. “Honestly, what’s most important to me right now is that I make good friends and I genuinely enjoy my time here,” Klein says. “I’ve always been successful academically, and I’m not really concerned or stressed about finding my path. I’m confident I will. I just want to be able to look back and say that I had a fantastic four years — that’s my main goal.” 

Luckily, just weeks into his undergraduate experience, he’s already found new friends and has had some special experiences. “For example, during orientation my dormmates and I participated in SongFest, which just had its 40th anniversary,” Klein says. “I’d done this type of activity at summer camp, and I always dreaded it. But this was something unexpected and wonderful. The first-year students actually cared about what we were doing, joined by a common goal to win the competition and have fun doing it. And I think I made instant, lasting connections along the way.” 

Camaraderie like this seems to be the norm at Emory, he adds. “When I came with my mom for a college visit, I was struck by how helpful and inclusive everyone was here,” Klein says. “Everyone went out of their way to help with directions across campus or anything else we needed. I wanted to be a part of it. And now that school has started, my instincts were right. Emory has already proved to be the tight-knit community I’d hoped for and where I feel like I belong.” 

Klein plans to study business while at Emory, inspired by his father who is wealth management advisor, but he’s open to any opportunities to learn and grow. “I know I want to keep studying Spanish because my grandmother is from the Dominican Republic and my family speaks the language,” he says. “Not only will it help me grow even closer to my family, but I also think having that skill could open doors for me both as a student and a professional.” 

An accomplished athlete throughout high school — he was the captain of the golf team his senior year — Klein hopes to keep playing at Emory through club sports. “I know I’ll never be a pro golfer, but I love playing and I love to coach kids,” he says. “Also, it’s just a nice way to escape stress and bring balance to whatever is going on in your life.” 

He also says that sports have helped him develop resilience, something he knows he’ll need in college and after he graduates. “My junior year in golf was essentially wiped out from a wrist injury, but I learned that sometimes you need to play through the pain to succeed,” he says.    

Judy Kim, Emory College

Prospective Major: Human Health and Economics (joint major)
Hometown: Jonesboro, Arkansas

Judy Kim wants to be a difference maker in health care access and equity. As an Arkansas state officer for Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), through which she participated in local and even international conferences, Kim became aware of the roadblocks and struggles many marginalized communities encounter when seeking care. “There are lots of racial and ethnic health disparities, and I think it’s stopping people from receiving equitable care and reaching their full potential,” she says. “And too many of us have been living in a bubble and have had our eyes closed to these inequities.”

Her involvement in HOSA cemented her interest in becoming a physician and has inspired her desire to study human health and economics — a joint major — at Emory. Kim hopes to conduct research and perform data analysis to learn more about health care disparities, and then take what she’s learned to smaller towns and communities across the United States to provide access to this information and create greater awareness.

Another thing she learned from attending these conferences was that it’s important to surround yourself with people from diverse backgrounds. “Though I was born in South Korea, I was raised in a fairly homogenous community in Jonesboro,” she says. “I found that through HOSA and other activities that stretched my boundaries, I thrived learning from different people who had different ideas and perspectives, and I hope to continue that learning at Emory and in a great city like Atlanta.”

Her dad, a university professor, has inspired her also to pursue computer science as minor, and she’s excited to add that expertise to her skill set. She fell in love with the subject after taking AP Computer Science in high school and learning how to code. “I really like the problem-solving aspects of it,” she says. “I can see a future where my career focuses on the intersection of computer science and medicine.”

Kim, a cross country and track athlete, enjoys running and plans to join a club at Emory to provide balance with her academic studies. She also wants to get involved in Greek life and join some of the university’s student-led health organizations.

In the next four years at the university, she hopes to connect with people and make friends who share similar passions, interests and goals — including those as concerned about healthcare equity as she is. “I want to help everybody have access to healthcare,” she says. “I want them to be able to do that regardless of their background and I want to spend my life advocating for it.”

Nashra Khan, Emory College,
QuestBridge Scholar

Prospective Major: Interdisciplinary Studies (Pre-Med)
Hometown: Snellville, Georgia

Nashra Khan, a first-generation college student who’s lived her entire life in suburban Atlanta, matched with Emory through the QuestBridge National College Match program. “My older sister wound up at Georgia Tech, so I always thought I’d go there,” Khan says, “but after an overnight, weekend retreat at Emory, I completely fell in love with the campus and realized it was a perfect fit for me. Emory was my first choice and I’m so happy I got my ideal match.” 

QuestBridge is a nonprofit that links highly qualified students from low-income backgrounds with 48 of the nation’s leading universities. In turn, the universities cover full tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies for four years. Emory boasts one of the largest QuestBridge Scholars networks in the country. 

Khan plans to take full advantage of her opportunity at Emory as she pursues a pre-med track with a major in interdisciplinary studies. Her ultimate goal is to be a pediatric oncologist. “As a Muslim Indian American from a low-income background, I’m very aware of the socioeconomic and racial disparities that exist in the health care system,” she says. “Because there’s such a lack of education and access with Black and Brown communities, too many people are ignorant of what’s available to them, and they wind up dying because they weren’t screened or treated for diseases like cancer.” 

She’s been interested in science for as long as she can remember and founded her high school’s science club. “A lot of students move on from high school to major in science, but they’re not really prepared for the classes when they get to college,” Khan says. “Our club hosted the annual science fair, participated in community events and even promoted science internships.” 

Khan took on a number of research internships herself, including one at the University of Houston where she helped study gene fusions that cause cancer. “That’s where I found my passion for oncology,” she says. 

Also proud of her heritage, Khan started an international night at her high school that celebrated different countries and cultures. “A bunch of my friends and I put on that first show and it’s since grown into one of the school’s most popular annual events,” she says. “I found that people love showcasing their backgrounds and learning about others — especially when there’s good food involved.” 

She's excited about her first year at Emory, especially the chance to build strong friendships and to grow as a person. “I’m looking forward to becoming more independent and having more autonomy and freedom in my life, and I think Emory will allow me to pursue the things I’m most interested in,” Khan says. “I want to revel in learning just for the sake of learning and to build a strong community that will make me more open-minded about the world.” 

Nate Occilien-Similen, Oxford College

Prospective Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Covington, Georgia

After moving from Miami, Florida, to Covington, Georgia, at a very young age, Nate Occilien-Similien grew up in Oxford College’s backyard. However, he never thought he’d attend either Oxford or Emory — he wasn’t sure his academics would be good enough or if he wanted to go to school so close to home.

However, his parents encouraged him to keep his options open. “My mother is Jamaican and my father is Haitian, and I valued the challenges they faced to succeed in the U.S. and give me so many great opportunities in life,” he says. “Their sacrifices and effort push me to strive to be the best version of me that I can.”

Occilien-Similien was accepted into both Emory and Oxford, but he was particularly attracted to Oxford because of its relatively small size and low faculty-to-student ratio. “I loved the feel of its tight-knit community and thought I would be able to develop close relationships with my professors and peers,” he says.

He also loved Oxford’s emphasis on student leadership. He participated in student government in all four years of high school at Peachtree Academy, serving as president of his junior class and vice president of his senior class. He also was a student ambassador and co-president of his school’s National Green School Society chapter.

“The most important thing to being a leader is creating connections,” Occilien-Similien says. “I’m eager to connect with as many people as possible at Oxford and to learn from their unique perspectives. It’s much more than just making friends; it’s about finding out how I can help others and continue to foster a mutual culture of servanthood with my peers and teachers.”

A budding entrepreneur who created a holistic wellness company more than two years ago, he plans to study business. “My dream is to start up multiple businesses that serve the greater good and inspire others to do the same,” he says. “I see a future where business isn’t just about greed, but about making the world a better place for everyone. There’s a lot of room for the businesses to embrace being ethically run.”

Mariia Sukhomlinova, Emory College, Woodruff Scholar 

Prospective Major: Psychology & Linguistics and Sociology & Religious Studies (double major)
Hometown: Poltava, Ukraine

For first-year Emory student Mariia Sukhomlinova, life forever changed on the morning of Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded her country of Ukraine. “I was not the only one to feel the instantaneous split of my life into ‘before’ and ‘after,’” she says. “Prior to the full-scale invasion, my household duties included going to school, cleaning my family’s apartment, washing and ironing the clothing, cooking — all of which were tasks I could not fully resume due to faltering electricity and water supplies.” 

Sukhomlinova was forced to endure daily interruptions such as air raid sirens, trips to bomb shelters and emergency power outages that shut down the internet —  and her connection to the outside world — for long stretches of time. She had to make adjustments in her life, such as storing dozens of liters of water in reused milk bottles, washing clothes by hand and cooking food over a gas camping heater to help her single working father and grandparents living with her. 

“I believe the unpredictability that the war brought to every area of life has affected me most,” Sukhomlinova says. “My school life and my ability to remain an active member of the community suffered, and overcoming these daily hurdles remained the twice underlined to-dos on my list up until the day I left for college. However, despite the roller coaster ride of events the past couple of years, what we endured here pales in comparison to the violence and bloodshed our neighboring region of Kharkiv has witnessed.” 

She adds: “While direct missile attacks have impacted the landscape around Poltova, the city has enjoyed relative calm though the populace sees the impact as it welcomes and supports displaced Ukrainians fleeing war zones.” 

Despite all this upheaval in her life, Sukhomlinova somehow found the resilience to thrive in high school and in service to her community. She founded Girl Up Ukraine, where she led initiatives advocating for better education, assisting the elderly and celebrating her country’s unsung heroes. “I am a firm believer in the power of raising awareness, and Girl Up Ukraine has collaborated with multiple members of the global Girl Up community to spread the perspective of regular Ukrainian citizens such as myself with changemakers from opposite ends of the world, from Brazil to India,” she says. “We continue to emphasize the importance of giving people an opportunity to share their truth.” 

She’s also an accomplished writer, winning the international Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award and publishing her work in the UCLA’s Journal of Arts, The Japan Society and Community Magazine. “I look forward to working with the linguistics department and Emory’s Alloy Literary Magazine, the Lullwater Review and the Pulse,” she says. 

A Woodruff Scholar, Sukhomlinova chose to study at Emory after the SEE Learning Program — developed by Emory’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics — started to be implemented across Ukrainian public schools in 2019. “I could not be more excited to join this innovative community of compassionate, global-minded students and faculty members,” she says. “I am ready to shape and be shaped by Emory and its unique approach to education and service.” 

Eric Zhang, Emory College

Prospective Major: Music and Applied Mathematics and Statistics (double major)
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Eric Zhang couldn’t be more excited about attending Emory, and above all looks forward to meeting and connecting with new people from the university’s diverse student body. “I’m excited to be in an environment where there’s a lot of people from different backgrounds,” Zhang says. “Everyone has lived a different life and everyone is interested in different things. I can’t wait to learn from my fellow classmates and the faculty.” 

A gifted performer and lifelong musician, Zhang plans to double major in music and applied mathematics and statistics. “I’ve been performing since I was five years old,” Eric says. “I started by playing the piano and picked up the violin three years later.” 

He’s participated in several orchestras near his suburban hometown of Dublin, Ohio. “I was a part of the Ohio All-State Orchestra for two years, and locally, there’s the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra that I’ve been part of since the third grade.” He also was a singer in the Columbus International Children’s Choir, with whom he was able to perform at Carnegie Hall and conduct a student-led ensemble.

Zhang was also introduced to theater in high school and discovered that he really enjoyed it. He starred in lead roles such as Jack Kelly in the musical “Newsies” and participated in pre-professional productions at local theaters.  

Academically, Zhang excelled in mathematics and found a fondness for statistics during his senior year. “When I was taking AP statistics, my teacher showed us how stats could be used as a superpower,” he says. “I’m double majoring in statistics to not only provide a practical balance to my musical pursuits, but also because it’s a field that’s so applicable and useful to many things in life.” 

At Emory, Zhang looks forward to connecting with the Asian Student Organization, other musicians and possibly the theater community. In fact, it’s his dream to combine music, performing arts, advocacy and volunteering to make the world a better place. 

“I hope to be able to use my skills as a performer and a musician to make positive changes,” he says. “I want to draw upon the empathy and kindness that I’ve learned through my experiences in high school and expand upon them with new ones at Emory.”

Odalis Chavira Quezada, Emory College 

Prospective Major: Sociology
Hometown: Salinas, California

Born and raised in Salinas, California, Odalis Chavira Quezada is a first-generation college student whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. “My parents taught me early on that I had so many opportunities in this country that I needed to make sure my siblings and I took full advantage of them,” she says. “So education has always been a top priority for us — and I want to learn and succeed so I can give back to my family and my community.” 

Quezada excelled in most subjects in high school and participated in a wide variety of student organizations, many of which raised awareness and resources for those in need. “That included packing lunches for the homeless population in our community as well as advocating for more educational programs and materials for our school,” she says.   

She’s particularly proud of her experiences with the Puente Project, a national program geared to increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities. The project’s mission is to send students off to college to earn their degrees and later return to their communities to serve as mentors and leaders for future generations. 

“I’m not locked in completely on what I want to study, but right now it’s sociology with the desire to go on to law school and become an immigration attorney,” Quezada says. “I want to solve social problems, like the wage gap for women or access to education. No matter what I study, I want to return to Salinas and bring back all I’ve learned at Emory to help those in my community who need it.” 

Through the Essence of Emory, an all-expenses-paid campus visitation program for high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds, she realized the university was the place for her. “I was open to any and all possibilities when going through the application process, but Emory was the school that stood out the most,” Quezada says. “But after stepping foot on campus, however, I knew it was the place for me. Everyone was just so inviting and welcoming. I know I made the right choice and there’s no looking back.” 

Quezada’s excited not only to be at Emory, but also in a big, thriving city like Atlanta. “I may be thousands of miles away from home, but I’m thrilled to be exploring a whole new world and making new friends,” she says. “I’m eager to settle in and get involved, making the most of the opportunities I’m blessed to have.” 

Richmond Debrah, Emory College

Prospective Major: Human Health and Anthropology (double major)
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

A native of Ghana, Africa, Richmond Debrah hadn’t visited the United States until a few weeks ago. His uncle, a graduate student at Texas A&M, invited Debrah to come to the U.S. to experience a little bit of college and American life before he started classes at Emory. The first difference that struck Debrah was how open Americans are. “Everyone I’ve spoken to here, whether it’s at the airports or on campus, is so free to talk about any topic or issue and I found that amazing,” he says.

Debrah, one of six children in his family, plans to study anthropology and human health at Emory, both fields inspired by his father. “He used to take us to museums, cultural centers and historical sites when we were little and I was always fascinated by anthropology and ancient history,” he says. Unfortunately, his father died from diabetes while Debrah was still in high school and sparked his interest in conducting medical research and fighting diseases. “I’m not sure what my path will be, but likely somewhere at the intersection of these two fields,” he adds.

His path to college after his father’s death was not a smooth one — he had to take a couple years off to help his mother and siblings. Once things settled, Debrah looked to apply to universities in the U.S. and immediately was attracted to Emory. “I was excited by the boundless opportunities to conduct research, especially at the undergraduate level,” he says. “I was also intrigued by Emory’s multidisciplinary approach to education, allowing me to explore different interests and combine them.”

He's eager to be part of a diverse Emory community and broadening his understanding of the world. “I know I have a limited worldview and I’m looking forward to learning from a wide variety of different viewpoints among the faculty and my peers.”

In addition to his academic pursuits, Debrah is a world-class chess player. Not only did he start a chess club at his high school, he led the team to numerous wins in national competitions and represented Ghana at an international chess tournament. He hopes to join the Emory Chess Club and make new friends.

After he graduates, one of Debrah’s dreams is to return to Ghana and fight for the cultural preservation of his country. “There’s a lot of archaeological looting that happens in my country and in Africa, and I’d like to fight against it,” he says. “I’m also interested in the health side of anthropology, because by studying ancient human remains we can also better understand history.”  

Sarah Fleshman, Emory College, QuestBridge Scholar 

Prospective Major: Creative Writing and Sociology (double major)
Hometown: Whitman, North Dakota 

The pandemic threw a monkey wrench into Sarah Fleshman’s dreams for high school. Though she had strong roots in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — where she grew up — she and her family were forced to move to central Oregon halfway through her ninth-grade year at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. “We had spent our lives in rentals and apartments, but for a couple months we were essentially homeless, and I wound up sleeping on my mom’s friend’s couch while we looked for a place to stay,” Fleshman remembers. 

She settled into a new routine in Oregon, and during her sophomore year she found some normalcy. “We found a place to live on our own, and I started getting back on my feet and found a bunch of extracurriculars I really enjoyed, like mock trial,” Fleshman says. “By my junior year, I was in a groove, but then my mom — who had remarried — found a house in a tiny town in North Dakota, and everything changed again.” 

By the time she graduated, Fleshman had attended four different high schools. “The last year and a half were rough because I was living in a ghost town and my class size was 19 students and there really weren’t any rigorous classes offered outside of what I could take online,” she says. “I’m proud of myself for making it through all this upheaval in my life. It would have been so easy for me just to give up and not take on these challenges.” 

Applying through the QuestBridge program, she was matched with Emory. “I always knew Emory had a great reputation and was attracted to Atlanta’s diverse culture and long connection with the civil rights movement,” Fleshman says. “Everything in my small town in North Dakota was just so homogenous, especially the food, and I wanted to be somewhere I could experience new and exciting things.” 

No matter where Fleshman lived during her teen years, she always enjoyed meeting people and making friends. “It’s one of my favorite things in life, and I’m really looking forward to doing that at Emory.” 

She plans to study creative writing and sociology; her ultimate goal is to become a civil rights attorney. “I’m especially interested in tackling the issues of homelessness, having experienced it personally,” Fleshman says. “I want to become an advocate for the unhoused and others whose rights are being stripped away.”