Building Health Systems That Serve the Most Vulnerable

Cecilia Wallace (USA, UWC-USA, Oberlin College ’19) graduated with a biology major and computer science minor, launching a career dedicated to healthcare equity and serving vulnerable populations.

“I’d left UWC interested in global problems, communication challenges, and interdisciplinary learning,” she reflects. “At Oberlin, I found people with a similar sense of mission and teachers who helped me sharpen my focus and develop writing, science, and systems thinking skills.”

At Oberlin, Cecilia served as a writing tutor and course writing associate, edited The Synapse, contributed to The Oberlin Review, and served as Vice Chair of Student Senate.

Following graduation, she joined AmeriCorps at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program as a case manager for the transgender team, helping patients access gender-affirming care. During the pandemic’s peak, she staffed isolation tents and coordinated patient activities at BHCHP’s COVID-19 medical shelter, hosting karaoke and creating a daily magazine for patients and staff to share writing and art during lockdown.

Currently a fourth-year medical student at The Ohio State University, Cecilia cofounded Street Medicine at OSU, an organization providing on-site medical care, linkage to services, and advocacy for local unhoused individuals. She also serves on the board of Clinica Latina, a Spanish-speaking free clinic.

“Growing up in rural Michigan where healthcare was hard to access, then working with people facing housing instability, language barriers, and gender identity stigma, showed me how demographics and financial means determine who gets good care,” Cecilia reflects. “Now I’m learning to change that from the inside.”

Cecilia is applying for residency in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, where she will continue working toward more equitable healthcare systems.

This profile is part of the “Graduates in Action” series from the 2026 Annual Report