Adelina Grace Sudarman
Adelina Grace Sudarman is a junior at the University of Washington, pursuing a major in Neuroscience with minors in Indonesian and Global Health. Driven by a commitment to neurological health and youth empowerment, Grace serves on the board of the Plus One Foundation, an organization supporting individuals with brain injuries. Her passion for amplifying young adult voices in advocacy led her to found UW Plus One—the foundation's first university chapter dedicated to maximizing youth capacity in brain injury awareness and support. She also serves as President of Phi Delta Epsilon, where she fosters community and resources among pre-medical students, and as Development Director for University District Street Medicine, where she applies her grant-writing expertise to expand healthcare access for unhoused populations. Through these roles, Grace has cultivated a deep understanding of how sustainable advocacy requires both grassroots community building and strategic resource development. As an Indonesian American who grew up surrounded by immigrant communities, Grace is passionate about language access in medicine and transforming health infrastructure through policy. She plans to pursue an MPP followed by an MD, believing that the most effective health equity advocates are those who understand both policy mechanisms and clinical realities.
Goals
In the near term, I aim to deepen my understanding of public health systems and policy through an MPP, developing the skills to critically evaluate healthcare structures rather than accept them as inevitable. This foundation will shape how I approach patient care and systemic change as a future physician. Long term, I intend to practice as both a physician and policy maker, working to enhance health equity among underserved populations while fostering institutional environments where policy reforms can be truly implemented and sustained.
Tips
Go into the process eager to learn: about the scholarship, about technical application skills, and mostly, about yourself. Write many drafts, and don’t be afraid to write different versions or perspectives. Surround yourself with people who are willing to push your ideas beyond your comfort zone, and mostly, be authentic to yourself and proud of what you submit!
