Shaneka Thurman

Copyright 2011. Shaneka Thurman. Site designed by onezerofivezero.

about Shaneka Thurman

I am Shaneka Thurman, a one-of-a-kind southern belle from Whiteville, North Carolina. I have an old soul, and yet a progressive frame of mind. I’m a deep-thinker, a dreamer, a risk taker, a self-motivator and a leader. I believe in humility, equality, chocolate, good music, smiling, peace, empowerment, family, dancing, interconnectivity, laughter, the color green, social responsibility, far-fetched ideas, pineapples and balance.

The serendipitous events of my life – from camping out with the Masaai warriors in Tanzania to living in orphanages in Tanzania and the Dominican Republic to puberty rites rituals in Ghana – have led to my interests in comprehensive and sustainable Global Health program development and implementation in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly with orphans and vulnerable children. I am also interested in Integrated Healthcare Systems and Complementary Medicine, Preventive Care awareness, Gender Equality and the Education of Mothers and Children.

As part of my journey to address these topics, I am pursuing an M.S. in Global Health from George Mason University. I hold Bachelor’s degrees in Africana Studies and Communication from North Carolina State University. I hope to later pursue a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology or Public Health.

Through my personal interests, educational accomplishments, and extracurricular experiences, I bring a wealth of experience in programming, from the grassroots level to the nonprofit to the university.

While ensuring the availability of optimal health programs for vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa is a Herculean task, I yet enjoy the challenge of merging my strengths with those of others to create multidisciplinary approaches to the issue at hand.

writing Academic Reports, Studies, Proposals, Reports and Reviews

  1. Haiti Project Proposal: Program Evaluation of CMMB's Points de Delivrance de Services Communautaires within the CHAMPS Project

    • Written 2011 by Shaneka Thurman and Baccho Umbertis

    • Global Health Students Beyond Borders is a George Mason University student organization whose membership is open to graduate students within the College of Health and Human Services.

       View Proposal

  2. South Africa Proposal: Integrated PHC: Amalgamation of Complementary Health Practices for HIV/AIDS Patients in Washington, DC and Cape Town, South Africa

    • Written 2011 by Shaneka Thurman, Courtney Cox, Jamechia Hoyle, Constance Gewa

    • Integrated (Complementary) Primary Healthcare (PHC) is an increasingly popular theme in Public Health that involves the use of Western Medicine in conjunction with Complementary Medicine.

       View Proposal

  3. Ghana ABUSUA Camp: Team Leader Final Report

    • Written 2008 by Shaneka Thurman, Jennifer McCann

    • A very important aspect of the Ghanaian spiritual belief system is that every individual has a part of the Creator within him/her. This part of the Creator, which is equivalent

      View Report

  4. AFRO Team Review

    • Written 2010 by Shaneka Thurman, Alisa Barret, Jamechia Hoyle, Katherine Libby, Muluwork Ameya, Takahiro Hasumi

    • Global Health Students Beyond Borders is a George Mason University student organization whose membership is open to graduate students within the College of Health and Human Services.

       View Review

  5. 5,000 Wo Siles Project Synopsis

    • Written 2007 by Shaneka Thurman

    • I have spent the past two summers in Ghana, West Africa. While I was there, I spent a significant amount of time working with children in schools and orphanages.

       View Synopsis

  6. GCH 435: Country Study Malawi

    • Written 2011 by Shaneka Thurman

    • Though there are direct connections with the HIV/AIDS problem to food insecurity. Malawi is facing a new phenomenon as it relates to food security in the country.

       View Study

writing Acquired Skills, Professional Experiences, Education, and Leadership Development

testimonials

Aside from her commitment to academic excellence that should be obvious from even a cursory glance at her transcript, Shaneka’s international experience in creating and directing service learning projects have given her a unique insight into the public health concerns of children, especially those who are HIV/AIDS orphans. Shaneka already has a wealth of experience working with underserved communities, with those hardest hit by public health policy and the lack thereof. I believe that her work as a public health professional will contribute to the wider discussion about our international response to the health concerns of these communities.

Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy, Professor of English and Africana Studies, NC State University

Miss Thurman is a wonderful young lady who is well rounded. She listens, thinks, and develops pertinent strategies and ideas that are outstanding for any task and/or organization. Miss Thurman is a born leader!

Miss Rolanda L. Allison, Graduate Advisor of the Kappa Omicron Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Her attention to details and her ability to ask the tough questions, led me to hire her as an intern for my organization. She has a large capacity for living and giving which is molding her into one of public health’s future thought leaders. She is very tenacious and wants to be the best at whatever her hands touch.

Now more than ever we need passionate public health leaders to help advocate for Maternal and Child Health and I can think of few more polished than Shaneka.

Rahman A. Parker, CEO, Mahn Healthcare

photos

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