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Simone Alhagri

“I hope that through my degree I am able to take the wealth of knowledge I have learned and apply it to my community. Health education can be a powerful tool when we have the right resources."

A proud mother of two boys, Simone Alhagri is passionate about improving women’s sexual and reproductive health. Simone is Yemeni-American, and when she was growing up she received conflicting messages about the importance of education. Although Simone watched her single mother break barriers and earn a degree in nursing, many other women in their community were discouraged from attending college. Simone persevered and received a full-tuition scholarship to Michigan State University, graduating with honors. She recently graduated with her master’s degree from the U-M School of Public Health.

Simone is motivated to ensure that all women have access to information about sexual and reproductive health, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Simone also hopes to advocate for people of color and low-income communities that continue to experience health disparities due to environmental and social factors. In addition to her studies, Simone has primarily worked in health care including patient care coordination, child psychology research, and medical translation. More recently, Simone has completed public health internships through various Detroit hospital systems. She says, “I hope that through my degree I am able to take the wealth of knowledge I have learned and apply it to my community. Health education can be a powerful tool when we have the right resources.”  She has also designed research on women’s health, including a study on the effects of racism on Black women’s maternal outcomes in Detroit.

Widely recognized for her intelligence, collaboration, and determination, Simone is prepared to be an excellent advocate for women’s health. Her professor describes her as “a truly superb student” and says, “Ms. Alhagri’s motivation and sustained commitment to her coursework was unparalleled.”

CEW+ commends Simone’s perseverance and names her the Elizabeth M. Dusseau Scholar.