Personal Stories
Anna and Irene are Student Engagement Associates for All of Us at Albion, and their job is to share information about the program and what it can mean for you! Below is why each of them decided to join and why they feel their participation is important.
Anna: "I joined All of Us because I could recognize the impact that this program will have not only on medical research, but all realms of health care. We’ve witnessed members of our own communities be negatively affected by COVID-19 at alarmingly disproportionate rates, and sadly this isn’t a new observation. We need to create more equity in medicine, and All of Us is the catalyst for making this change. Starting from the bottom up with more diversity in research will allow more representation to spread throughout the world of medicine.”
Irene: “I joined All of Us because I want to be part of innovative research in efforts to represent everyone of all types of backgrounds. Growing up, I didn’t have insurance and, being a part of the Mexican community, our treatments were based off of home remedies, so I wasn’t aware of the many treatments readily available to me, or what a healthy lifestyle looked like specifically for me. But now that I’m more educated on the topic, I want to learn more about my health, and I hope others, who weren’t offered the same health opportunities, will join me in being a part of a program that is for them, a partnership, and also being part of change in medicine that includes anyone and everyone, a program where you finally are seen and heard.”
Hear from Albion students about why they decided to join this public health initiative to build one of the most diverse health databases in history. Read below!
"I decided to join All of Us because I want to be a part of advancing research in the field I’m planning to enter myself one day. The best way we can learn is from each other, and it’s absolutely amazing to me that something as simple as providing information about yourself may be what leads to improved medical care for someone else someday!" - Alyx Everitt '22
"I joined All of Us because I liked their mission and its emphasis on diversity and inclusion. I think both of those are really important focuses in the medical/research field if we want everyone to receive equal treatment. I also like how transparent they are, it made me feel more comfortable with sharing my information." - Fadwa Kamari '23
"I decided to sign up for All of Us because I feel as though this is a great idea that can improve healthcare in the long run through a more personalized experience. I feel as though offering my data is something small that I can do in order to contribute to a meaningful and impactful project. I also think that it will be interesting to see my own results and am curious to find out more about my DNA. Everything that I read about the program felt transparent, safe, and as private as possible, leading me to believe that joining is a great decision for anyone wanting to offer helpful data and/or learn more about themselves and their health. The choice was easy and I'm very excited to see what more the program has to offer!" - Alivia Benedict '22