Amanda has a career plan focused on helping people put their health first.

She’ll graduate from Washington University in 2008 with a double major in biology and classical literature. But dual bachelor’s degrees won’t mark the end of her educational path.

Upon graduating, Amanda plans to apply for medical school, and envisions a career practicing obstetrics and gynecology. She plans to look at schools in Chicago and on the east or west coasts.

“I’m interested in women’s health and developmental biology,” Amanda says. “I’d also like to focus on researching the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

Amanda’s favorite charitable efforts tie in closely with her vision to improve people’s health. Once she’s a medical student, she plans to become involved in Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian agency that sends medical aid all over the world. The organization assists people in strife-torn areas, disaster victims, and those who can’t access health care. Amanda also believes strongly in charities such as Save the Children.

The 21-year-old Chicago-area native currently volunteers with a Washington University AIDS advocacy and outreach program, and is vice president of the university’s Eta Sigma Phi classics honors fraternity.

Dance has been a part of Amanda’s life since she was very young. In high school, she performed on the varsity dance team and participated in poms, hip hop and jazz competitions. Even once she’s in medical school and beyond, she plans to continue dancing and taking classes to keep up her skills.

But that talent is just one of the colors in Amanda’s creative palette. She has taken painting classes and enjoys creating portraits, still lifes and abstracts in oils. “One of my favorite cheerleader outreach events was a kids’ art fair we participated in,” she says. “All the kids came up to us and showed us their work; they were so excited. They were so positive.”

Amanda’s father’s family is from Nigeria, and she has traveled to that country twice. The future, she says, may find her visiting that part of the world again on a medical outreach mission.