“One of my end goals in life is to create a Pay What You Can Hospital in Mexico and, that's something that also I got inspired by echo”
- Michelle Ramirez Martinez
echo alumna Michelle Ramirez Martinez is a freshman at Harvard University and is passionate about public health. As a first-generation, low-income student, Michelle's initial worldview was constrained by traditional career pathways. Her involvement with echo dramatically expanded her horizons.
“I believed that there were only traditional routes to go through, whether that was being a doctor, being a lawyer, being an engineer,” Michelle shares, “but echo allowed me to see that there was more, and that I could even create my own path in life” *.
echo provided Michelle with critical mentorship and networking opportunities that became the foundation of her success. Participating in programs like the Mental Health Ideation Sprint in Fall 2023 connected her with industry professionals and ignited her passion for biomedical engineering—now her chosen major at Harvard University.
Michelle also credits echo’s Teens Tackle Hunger campaign with igniting her passion for community service. During Summer 2024, Michelle worked alongside 17 other echo teen interns to organize food truck and farmer’s market events to provide meals for food insecure students in the Durham Public School system. “It can be tiny, small things you do in your own community,” Michelle explains, highlighting the importance of grassroots efforts.
echo's support has been instrumental in shaping Michelle's aspirations and self-confidence. “The kids at echo were all like a diverse bunch, and we all had these big plans and ideas,” Michelle shares. But it wasn’t just her peers that inspired her, as she met many mentors from universities like Duke and UNC who shared about their academic pursuits and perspectives. Michelle also credits the mentorship she received from echo CEO, Anjanette Miller, with helping her to pursue her goals. Michelle says, “I saw myself in these mentors, and if they could do it, why couldn't I”?
In the future, Michelle aims to pursue a career in medicine with a focus on health inequities. Her personal mission is to help people through health and medicine, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in tackling health disparities. In the future, Michelle aspires to create a Pay-What-You-Can Hospital in Mexico, inspired by the lessons she learned during her time at echo.
At echo, we are committed to transforming lives through the power of entrepreneurship. As a participant in echo’s teen programming, Michelle was able to discover more about herself and her passions. By contributing to echo, you can empower us to continue providing essential resources for teens like Michelle. Together, we can make a difference in our local community and beyond. Consider giving a gift to echo today.
*All quotations in this article are pulled from a Zoom interview between Michelle Ramirez Martinez and the author on October 23rd, 2024.
Author’s Note:
Ihsan Mohammed is a passionate storyteller and a valued member of echo's marketing team. Currently a junior at Meredith College, she is majoring in interior design with a minor in marketing. Ihsan's professional writing journey began in her senior year of high school when she participated in echo’s teen program, Shiboka 1st Edition. This experience led her to write the articles "They Stole Our Jobs" and "Success in Business," as well as the poem "When the Sun Rises." When she's not designing or working, Ihsan enjoys spending time with her family, sculpting, and exploring nature.