In Action
Resetting Personal Health. Dr. Patrice Tully, MS ‘96, is reshaping conversations around weight loss and health through her new book, The Weight Loss Reset: How to Rewire Your Body for Long-Term Success. As she openly shares her own health struggles, Dr. Tully also provides a clear guide for understanding the human body and how one can build better habits, become more confident, and live a healthier life.
Power Reimagined. Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, MS ‘89, has gone on a nationwide tour to promote her new book, Power Reimagined: My Mission to Get it, Grow it, and Give it Away. Featured in People Magazine and Harvard Business Review, the book highlights how adversity shaped her path to a successful future and she draws a roadmap for how others can reclaim, redefine, and reimagine their power to do the same for themselves and their communities.
Reshaping the Idea of Home. Amanda Rizkalla, MS ‘16, Steinbeck Fellow and Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellow, published her debut novel, Hungered. Loosely based on some of Amanda’s lived experiences, the book explores topics surrounding economic insecurity, coming of age, and identity. Through the eyes of fictional 12-year-old Sofia, Amanda challenges readers to question what, and who, can define a home.
Serving Again—This Time, in Healthcare: Julie Hoyte, MS ‘89, US Army Veteran and Founder of Health Information Technology Solutions, LLC (HITS), excels in bridging tech to improve healthcare at a national level. She was named as an IGNITE 2025 Honoree for her impact in digital transformation within the federal health IT sector. For two years, Julie has also been recognized as an Engage Federal Health Honoree for improving ways federal health agencies serve people.
Bridging Gaps in Medicine: Dr. Jenny Tsang‑Quinn, MS ‘89, a primary care physician turned health services leader, was featured in City & State New York’s The 2025 Above & Beyond: Women due to her transformative leadership reimagining primary care for patients. As a Senior Vice President at Maimonides Health, she leads efforts to enhance digital tools, connect patients with providers who speak their language and remove barriers to build long-term trust with diverse communities.
Making His Mark in Medical School: John Alvarez, MS ‘15, a native of Queens, NY, is making his mark at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. For the third time in a row, he received the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarship, which brings him one step closer to his dream of becoming a healthcare provider serving patients of all backgrounds.
Investing in Future Generations: Daniel Nguyen, MS ‘16, is giving back as co-founder of the CAN (Campos-Ayele-Nguyen) Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to empowering underprivileged students to reach their full academic potential. In 2024 CAN celebrated its first scholarship recipients, which were selected from the founders’ former high school - Capital City Public Charter School. Click here to learn about the 2025 CAN Scholarship Application. As the Foundation grows, it plans to expand its college and career resources to further support students facing financial struggles in Washington, D.C.
Channeling the Power of the Pen: Frances Lu Pai Ippolito, MS ’98, lawyer, judge, writer, and most recently publisher, who seeks to shed a light on marginalized communities, released her first book, “A Tree of My Own.” A children’s picture book, sold out just minutes after its release, features the Karen refugee experience displaced by war in the Myanmar region. "A Tree of My Own" has been designated an "Of Note" title by Freeman Book Awards via the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA).The book is also a finalist for three categories of the IBPA award--AAPI Communities, Best New Voice, Best First Book. All the profits from book sales go back into scholarships and educational projects for the Karen community, including those who still reside in refugee camps. Profits have been donated to Oregon Karen Association and Earth Mission (providing medical care to Karen in Burma).
Committing to a Spiritual Vocation: As a member of the Society of Jesus, one of the largest male religious orders in the Catholic Church, Alvaro Pacheco, Jr., SJ, MS ‘02, has committed himself to a life of service, faith, and social justice. After two years as a Jesuit novice, Alvaro professed his first vows with the Jesuits at Loyola Marymount University's Sacred Heart Chapel in Los Angeles. He is continuing his journey toward the Catholic priesthood at Fordham University in the Bronx by completing an M.A. in Philosophy and Society and working at Thrive for Life Prison Project, a non-profit that mentors incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals on their journey to reentry.
Transforming Media Behind the Cameras. Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, MS ‘89, was recognized as the Entertainment Attorney of the Year by the National Bar Association, the oldest Black Bar Association in the nation. She received her award at the 99th Annual Convention for the National Bar Association held in Las Vegas, NV. Throughout her career, Khadijah has promoted diverse voices, uplifted influential leaders, and helped transform communities’ narratives through entertainment and law.