Jody Morita

Morita

“I want to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to marginalized persons in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side that recognizes the resident’s unique health challenges.”

  • Program: 2008 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
  • Resides: Vancouver, BC
  • Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Age: 26

Biography

PROFILE: Jody Morita began his pursuit of higher education at Deep Springs College, a highly selective two-year liberal arts college located on a ranch near Death Valley, California. After graduating, he lived in Nepal and worked as a volunteer school teacher. He received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship in 2004 and completed his degree at Harvard University, where he majored in urban studies.
Jody is currently enrolled in a post baccalaureate program and plans to attend medical school. “While my undergraduate degree in urban studies and medicine are seemingly two distinct fields, studying the built environment has greatly informed my decision to pursue a career in medicine. Both now and as an undergraduate, the Foundation’s support has allowed me to consider a career based upon my desire to make a positive impact on society without the need to choose a career path simply out of financial need.”
INSPIRATION: During an internship at the Pivot Legal Society, a legal advocacy firm in Vancouver’s poorest urban district, Jody became interested in how marginalized people gain access to health care and the effectiveness of programs created to improve quality of life.
ASPIRATION: Jody plans to pursue a medical degree specializing in internal medicine with a sub-specialty in infectious diseases and public health. He intends to commit his life to providing medical care to Canada’s marginalized populations.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Jody is a volunteer research assistant at Vancouver’s Institute of Health Promotion, where he works on studies that analyze rural immigration of Canada’s homeless and their corresponding access to health care.
ACCOLADES: Jody received the Millennium Scholarship from the government of Canada. He was awarded a grant from the university committee on human rights studies to conduct an internship at the Pivot Legal Society.
INTERESTING FACT: As a writer for Let’s Go Thailand, Jody updated, revised, and expanded the travel guide’s section on the Andaman Coast and Bangkok.

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