Engaged Ambassadors
Krinal Thakkar
Majors: Biology and Society, Psychology
Minors: Global Health; Health Equity; Crime, Prison, Education, & Justice
The issue of public concern I’m passionate about is … health advocacy for the marginalized in 
this country and in the world.
Engagement experience: I currently work for a program called Prisoner Express. This program fosters an understanding that individuals who are incarcerated are more than prisoners; they are, or at least should be, defined by more than their crimes. This job allows me to work with prison reform every day, and it’s an eye opening experience to humanize incarcerated individuals, to have dialogue with them and to give them a voice when they feel like they are silenced. Capitalism creates blame and apathy for those that do not have access to adequate healthcare, and I believe that healthcare is a basic human right, and I aspire to not only heal my patients as a doctor, but heal the system that fails to listen to and fulfill the healthcare needs of marginalized populations such as the prison population or communities of color.
As an Engaged Ambassador, I … can serve communities through not only volunteering and serving communities myself, but also helping mentees seek out service opportunities they are passionate about, so they themselves can be agents of change.
I got involved because … I believe that true passion for service cannot be taught, it must be experienced, and students get that experience through Engaged Cornell. I want to be a part of the mentorship team that helps shape students of Cornell today, into passionate, service oriented leaders of tomorrow. I believe that being an ambassador will allow me to be equipped with the knowledge, resources and most importantly the network of individuals that are passionate about healing both marginalized communities and the system that marginalizes them.
My friends would say I’m … caring and passionate 🙂
Best Cornell memory (so far!): walking through the botanical garden with my best friend really early in the morning, and sitting on the ledge under the bell tower and watching the sunset.
Fun fact: I was born in India, and I am learning my 5th language!
Future plans: Pursue an MD/PhD (racialization of medicine), serve underserved populations in Chicago, and conduct research on race correction factors and why it’s vital that they do not exist in medicine.
Engaged Ambassadors
A cohort of students who have completed the Certificate in Community-Engaged Leadership and lead a variety of special projects for the Office of Engagement Initiatives