Worcester State senior Anabelle Santiago will be honored with the United Way of Central Massachusetts – Women’s Initiative’s Meridith D. Wesby Young Leader Award at a special event at Mechanics Hall on Oct. 29.
Santiago is currently pursuing a double major in Public Health and Business Administration at Worcester State, with plans to graduate in December 2024. The United Way says that Santiago was chosen for the award because she is a passionate advocate for equity and empowerment, especially for women and young girls.
Santiago said her commitment to uplifting underserved communities began with the Worcester State Health Ambassador Multilingual Team (later known as the Health Initiatives Team), where she led efforts to address health disparities in marginalized neighborhoods. As team leader, she played a pivotal role in the Worcester Equity COVID-19 Vaccine Corps, including vaccine clinics on campus, leading outreach efforts, and providing translation services to improve vaccine access for underrepresented populations.
President Barry M. Maloney has said the Health Initiatives Team’s work was crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Certainly, the vaccine center was a project that not only helped the Worcester State community but the larger community as well, and I’m so proud that our students were in the lead on that.”
Santiago said her role with the team gave her the chance to work closely with the community and encouraged her to establish professional connections within the public health sector. “Under the mentorship and leadership of Claudia Paiva ‘24, who was the WSU Health Initiatives Project Manager, I have been able to develop skills in many areas such as analytics/assessments, program planning, evaluation, communications and public-relations, project management, and cultural/language competency,” she said.
“Over the past four years, I have been privileged to work with Anabelle,” Paiva said. “She is a remarkable student with the intellectual capacity, dedication, and determination to succeed in higher education. I have been impressed by her leadership, professionalism, civic engagement, and commitment to developing ongoing health-related projects.
“I’m incredibly proud of the WSU Health Initiatives Team and the amazing work they’ve accomplished,” said Andrew Piazza, chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Worcester State and faculty advisor to the Health Initiatives Team.
Santiago said her dedication to public health deepened through her internship with the Academic Public Health Corps, a state-funded program where she collaborated with Massachusetts Public Health Departments on initiatives aimed at achieving health equity. She said this experience revealed to her the systemic barriers faced by women and girls in her community, motivating her to enhance her advocacy and empowerment efforts, particularly through the Women’s Initiative.
“As a woman myself, I understand firsthand the difference that having a mentor or support system can make,” she said. “I think it’s really important to help extend that positive impact for other women and girls.”
Through her internship with the Academic Public Health Corps, Santiago collaborated with Massachusetts public health departments on initiatives aimed at achieving health equity, which further motivated her advocacy and empowerment efforts, especially through the Women’s Initiative.
Now working with the Women’s Initiative, Santiago conducts research, develops educational content, and leads outreach to highlight the challenges faced by adolescent girls, while also mentoring young girls through the financial literacy program Dollar Scholar.
Santiago said her education at Worcester State, particularly the support and guidance from professors like Dr. Piazza and Aimee Kindorf, academic field coordinator for the Department of Health Sciences, has helped her gain clarity on her career path and provided her with valuable opportunities to apply her learning in real-world settings.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful professors in the Public Health Department who’ve not only made what I want to do clearer through the classes that they teach, but they also supported me in finding outside opportunities that allowed me to explore different paths, and that has been incredibly helpful to me.”
The award will be presented at the 22nd annual Stepping Up for Girls fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is a celebration of women’s philanthropy, leadership, and empowerment of adolescent girls. Stepping Up for Girls is the Women’s Initiative’s signature fundraiser to support future programming. The event highlights the United Way’s funded programs, celebrates local women leaders, and the positive impact the programs and those who support them have made for girls, women and families. To attend the event, please register here.
Photo: Anabelle Santiago presents her project at the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity last spring.
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