Student: Emily Harouni

Emily Harouni, a third-year student in the College of Allied Health Sciences, wanted to make a difference in the health care world, but not in the way she had originally planned.

When she first came to East Carolina University, she had plans to be a nurse. Her desire to enter the medical field originated from her goal to make health care more accessible. Once she realized nursing wasn’t for her, she discovered the health services management degree program after talking to a friend and never looked back.

Emily Harouni, second from left, and her team at last year’s Medical University of South Carolina competition where they placed third. (Contributed photo)

“I still wanted to be in health care,” she explained. “And if I wanted to go back and get a degree in nursing, I can do that with this degree.”

After making the switch to the administrative side of medicine, she became fully immersed in the program, in and out of the classroom. She credits her professors’ unwavering support for helping her get to where she is today, along with shaping how she plans to lead in the future: with purpose and people in mind.

“They genuinely care,” she said. “They offer so much help and connect what we’re learning to the real world.”

Recently, Harouni and a team of three other classmates along with two professors took a trip to the Medical University of South Carolina for a case competition against other undergraduate health care leadership and management teams from across the country. There, they were assigned a health care issue and were asked to find solutions to improve access to care.

She and her team were assigned to work with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic illness that has become prevalent in the United States. As a group, they decided to assemble a hypothetical health care institution from the ground up to provide access to disease treatment in rural areas. This included working together to determine how to fund the clinic, who the clinic would employ, where the facility would be located, and other details that are important to the creation of programs. Their presentation on their health care system earned a third-place finish, which is her favorite memory so far at ECU.

“The entire experience was amazing,” she explained. “I was able to meet a lot of other students within my program at other colleges and build a lot of connections, along with step outside of my comfort zone to present.”

Even while being involved inside of the classroom, she still stays busy outside of the classroom, serving her fellow students and furthering her education.

As current vice president — and incoming president — of the Future Healthcare Executives club, she continues to use her motivation of improving the health care system to coordinate workshops, events and campaigns to help other aspiring students learn more about their program.

The FHE program helps build backgrounds for students in the health care field, but specifically for the administrative side, she explained.

As she sets sail into her senior year, she has her sights set on an internship in the state to help her further her experience in health care management, preferably one that will turn into a full-time job.

Harouni’s ultimate dream is to manage a women’s health clinic, where she hopes to advocate for better care and access to medicine for women.

“There is so much to do, and I want to be a part of that change,” she said.

In every aspect of her time at ECU, she is shaping her future in leadership with a people-focused approach and serving others along the way.