Today we’d like to introduce you to Superbugs Awareness. They and their team shared their story with us below:
We are a group of four determined teenage girls who are eager to make a positive impact on the world—Kianna Yasis, Cassandra Doshi, Mariam Seliman, and Aaliyah Mohammad.
The Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis is an issue that often goes unnoticed. Annually, this silent pandemic of superbugs claims the lives of 2.8 million people. As many are not aware of the severity of this issue and do not understand how their daily activities contribute to its spread, we aim to educate the community about the growing threat of superbugs, empower individuals to proactively prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, and foster their engagement in addressing this pressing issue.
Superbugs are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. As they are mainly caused by the misuse of antibiotics, poor infection control practices, and factory farming, effective ways to counter these threats include hand-washing, safe food handling, avoiding contact with the sick, staying up-to-date on vaccinations, and more.
Ever since June 2022, we’ve conducted extensive research through laboratory experiments, interviewing health professionals, organizing numerous projects, and establishing partnerships. Proudly, we’ve reached approximately 9,900 people with our online presence, flyers, bookmarks, magnets, infographics, and tri-fold display boards that were strategically placed in fairs, events, and community areas.
Our partnerships with East Ridge High School, Woodwinds Hospital, Simply Med Medical Community, Project Lead The Way, The Philippine Center of Minnesota, Fil-Minnesotan Association, Filipino Community Organizations, etc., then allowed us to host booths, deliver impactful sessions, conduct lab demonstrations, and participate in insightful interviews.
Notable milestones include the following:
Strong presence and promotion of Superbugs Awareness at the Philippine Day Event in the Summer of 2022 which had over 500 attendees, as well as at the FMA Health Fair in the Fall of 2022 which had over 200 attendees, including, Dr. Noe Mateo, the Vice President of Stanford’s Department of Medicine, and Dr. Bernard Quebral, the Vice President of Health Partners.
At the beginning of Spring 2023, in our collaboration with Simply Med, an international medical community, we were able to present to 103 people, and the recording of the webinar was sent to their email list of over 1,000 people.
During the Spring of 2023, a superbugs awareness campaign was posted on 3 billboards on May 3rd and 4th. Two were located in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota which had a total average of 247,865 daily views, and our third billboard was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota with an average of 374,716 daily average views.
In May 2023, care packages were put together and provided to pediatric patients at the Woodwinds Hospital. These care packages included: hand sanitizer, information graphics, cute notes, informational bookmarks, our own branded magnets, and toys for pediatric patients.
Throughout the year, we’ve successfully hosted Panera Bread and Raisin’ Cane’s fundraisers where all proceeds were sent towards antibiotic resistance research.
Furthermore, through HOSA-Future Health Professionals, we were able to compete in the Community Awareness competitive event at the Minnesota State Leadership Conference and the HOSA International Leadership Conference. We presented our community campaign to a panel of judges, documenting our journey and accomplishments through a portfolio.
We are incredibly honored to have achieved first place at the state-level competition, a feat that showcased our hard work, dedication, and exceptional teamwork. This remarkable accomplishment not only earned us recognition within our state but also granted us the opportunity to advance to the prestigious International Leadership Conference (ILC).
Representing our country, state, and chapter on an international stage, we presented our innovative ideas and strategies in front of esteemed judges and faced formidable teams. The experience was exhilarating, as we embraced the chance to engage in friendly competition and learn from other talented individuals. Our participation in the ILC reinforced our belief in the power of collaboration, cross-cultural exchange, and the importance of global leadership.
We are immensely proud of our journey, and we cherish the memories and invaluable lessons gained from this extraordinary adventure. Overall, we are delighted to report the resounding success of our campaign and the significant strides we have taken in creating awareness about superbugs in the community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
Increasing public awareness of superbugs has been a difficult but worthwhile endeavor. Throughout our journey, a recurring struggle was the lack of general knowledge and understanding about superbugs in the public. The complexity of this issue often required scientific explanations, making it difficult to effectively communicate the urgency of this issue.
However, we provided diagrams, infographics, etc. that are easy to follow in our presentations to overcome this obstacle. Additionally, especially at our school, we faced the issue of people not taking our campaign seriously. Despite these challenges, however, we have made immense strides in raising public awareness about superbugs.
We have been able to reach a larger audience and encourage behavior changes that can help prevent the spread of superbugs by concentrating on focused education, dispelling myths, developing collaborations, and using diverse communication platforms.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Kianna Yasis is an 18-year-old, recent high school graduate who will be attending the University of St. Thomas for Nursing on a Pre-Medicine Track. Over the years, she has built a reputation as an altruistic individual who is always willing to challenge herself and has a desire for helping others.
Through leadership and determination, she is proudly the recipient of the Dr. Mintalar Scholarship for Excellence in Academics and the Performing Arts, recipient of a Project Citizen Certification awarded by the Minnesota Project Citizen Learning Law and Democracy Foundation for presenting to the State Capitol regarding the transportation and driving issues in Minnesota, a Silver Level Barbara James Service Award Recipient, Communications Manager for Operation MEDucation, Former Vice-President of East Ridge HOSA, Former Director of Advocacy for Teens Against Cancer, Former President of Fil-Minnesotan Youth Organization, and more.
Additionally, over three consecutive years, she has secured victory in multiple events at the HOSA State Leadership Conference, leading to her recognition as a HOSA International Leadership Conference Finalist for each of those three years. In her free time, Kianna enjoys singing, dancing, acting, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and playing the violin, guitar, piano, and ukulele. With giving back to the community an important aspect of Kianna’s life, she believes her unique blend of creativity, commitment to personal growth, and genuine desire to expand her capacity to serve others is what sets her apart.
Being a leader is so much more than telling people what to do; a leader is about being open-minded, creative, hard-working, approachable, having integrity, being dependable, and so much more. A good leader is someone who leads with heart. By embracing these values and applying them to everything I do, I hope to create a loving and supportive atmosphere in which individuals can thrive, dreams can be fulfilled, and where hearts can be touched.
Cassandra Doshi is 18 years old and is going to attend the University of Minnesota for Biomedical Engineering as a pre-med student. Cassandra is a proud advocate for gifted children’s health and rights and has had the opportunity to present her research at national conventions in Florida, Indianapolis, Minnesota, and Kentucky over the past 3 years as well as presenting at her local State Capitol.
Right now, she is curious about medicine and has experience which includes volunteering weekly at Woodwinds Hospital, getting a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) License, 3x State Winner in Minnesota HOSA, and 2x International Leadership Conference Finalist through HOSA, and obtaining a Biotech Assistant License. Cassandra says that “My profound respect for education is one thing that makes me unique from others. I have a sincere belief that learning is a lifetime endeavor and I am passionate about it. My commitment to school has allowed me to acquire useful information and abilities that have enabled me to take the initiative and establish myself as a trustworthy leader.
Being in a leadership position not only fulfills my need to be in charge but also gives me the chance to positively influence the lives of others. I honestly like being a resource that people may turn to for advice, assistance, or support. I cannot express how much joy I get from supporting people and offering a helpful hand. I think that my passion for learning, together with my inherent desire to take the lead and help others, enables me to foster an atmosphere where individual development and teamwork may flourish. I aim to inspire and encourage people around me, ensuring that everyone may realize their full potential, by building a culture of learning and dependability.”
Mariam is going to be a Biomedical Engineering student this upcoming Fall at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Mariam is most interested in and dreams of specializing in Emergency Medicine and obtained her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license earlier this Summer. She has also participated in a ride-along with the Woodbury Fire Department. Mariam thoroughly enjoys interacting with patients on a personal level so she volunteers at Woodwinds Hospital by transporting patients to places they need to be.
She also organized events in her school in which students made blankets which were later donated to pediatric patients. Her efforts in volunteering have made her a Barbara Jones Award Recipient. To share her passion for medicine with others, Mariam was the former president of her school’s Medical Club where she supported younger student’s passion for medicine by allowing them to participate in medical-related activities such as suturing. What sets Mariam apart from others is her dedication to educating others about deemed shameful topics despite others’ doubts about her.
In the future, she dreams of becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician and helping educate and treat sick patients in the rural parts of her home country, Egypt. In addition to her passion for medicine, Mariam believes it is important for one to hold on to their culture despite being an immigrant in a foreign country, thus she works as a teacher assistant at her local mosque as an Arabic teacher. Mariam says “Working on raising awareness about Superbugs to the maximum was difficult at first, but through persistence and repeated attempts to reach out to the community, we were successful in educating almost 500,000 people about the silent pandemic of superbugs”.
Aaliyah is 16 and an upcoming senior at Eastridge High School who is planning to apply to colleges with a major in Neuroscience on a pre-med track. With a keen interest in science her whole life she began entering this field in her elementary/middle school days. From entering her school’s Invention Convention she placed 2nd nationally and 3rd in her home state of Ohio. More recently Aaliyah is a 2x state winner in the Minnesota HOSA and international competition attendee. To further her interest in the medical field Aaliyah has participated in the Black Women in Stethoscopes conference where she made connections with healthcare professionals in the Twin Cities and shadowed an OBGYN.
Aaliyah would describe herself as someone who is easily able to show her compassion and care for others and feels her best when others are taken care of which draws her closer to the healthcare field day by day. Aaliyah who now works at a preschool has always been drawn to taking care of children and has held book drives in the past to donate to the children’s hospital during the winter months.
Her natural leadership skills and passion for encouraging her peers to pursue their goals in the medical field have helped her achieve her position as Vice President for Eastridge HOSA 2023-24 and Secretary for Letters of Love 2023-24. Her future goals are to become an Anesthesiologist and advocate for more youth in her culture and from similar backgrounds to pursue their dreams regardless of stereotypes that may hold them back because representation in the healthcare field is desperately needed.
What do you think about happiness?
Engaging in this remarkable journey has brought us immense happiness as we recognize the positive impact we have had on our community. Our dedicated efforts, hard work, and unwavering commitment have not only yielded personal fulfillment but also generated meaningful change in the lives of those around us.
Being able to see and experience the transformative effects of our initiatives and the genuine smiles on the faces of those we have supported and inspired has deepened our sense of joy. Coming together and finding that our endeavors have extended beyond personal achievement while having left a lasting, positive impression on the community fuels our continued pursuit of excellence.
We are motivated by the knowledge that our actions have the power to create a brighter, more inclusive future for everyone involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/superbugsawareness
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superbugs.awareness/?__coig_restricted=1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/superbugsawareness/100083311460278/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@superbugs.awareness
Image Credits
HOSA-Future Health Professionals
