Fosua Dadson, Public Health
Dadson’s project to amplify benefits of Honors College to prospective students
Fosua Dadson
For her signature honors project, East Carolina University public health major Fosua Dadson turned to her own role as a member of the Honors College.
Dadson, along with other Honors College students, is looking at expanding the college’s reach by creating additional opportunities in underserved communities to learn more about the university through mentorship. While the idea was originally created from the first-year honors course focusing on solutions to complex problems by another group, Dadson was intrigued, especially when the original group decided to drop the research.
“I developed the passion of finding a solution to spread the word to minorities in high schools from our hometowns and surrounding areas about the opportunities and scholarship they could earn from the ECU Honors College,” she said.
Dadson said her mentor helped her explore the plan further to ensure it does not exclude other demographics.
“Specifically, he meant that although we want our outreach to be with minorities, we should not overlook other qualified candidates who may not be categorized as minorities. This advice ensures that we are not biased or discriminatory in our efforts to recruit more students to the honors program.”
Dadson sought mentorship from Dr. Jarvis Hargrove, an associate professor in the Department of History, who also taught the Brinkley-Lane Scholars class during Dadson’s freshman year.
“Working with my mentor has influenced my personal and academic growth by strengthening my awareness of any implicit biases I may have toward others and learning how to step outside my comfort zone,” she said. “This project has also made me more focused in my academic performance to ensure that I do the best I can and utilize all opportunities and resources.”
Although Dadson’s background is in public health and she plans to pursue a career in physician assistant studies, the historical lens that Hargrove has helped her see through has also made her more interested in research.
“I am now interested in participating in community research that pertains to the topic of diversity in health care and programs, with the possibility of pursuing a doctorate in health research,” she said.