A “Future Nobel Laureate” Focuses on Global Health

Among those who made an all-expenses-paid trip to Sweden last December for the annual Nobel Week Dialogue was Nico Quijano Franco (Colombia, UWC-USA, Earlham ’23.5), one of 10 students from nine countries, studying at U.S. colleges and universities, who received a 2023 Future Nobel Laureate Scholarship.

“The philosophy of this program revolves around the idea that in order to change the world, you need to experience it first,” Nico writes. “Scholars work remotely before traveling to Sweden on a project of their own interest that promotes equity and justice in society. My group and I decided to tackle the lack of mental health access by creating an AI platform called Bridging Minds that allows people to be matched with therapists who can deliver culturally competent care. Our goal is to continue to work together to bring this project into actualization and see it come to life.”

Nico also received a Global Health scholarship from the Flywire Charitable Foundation, which he said “recognizes students committed to promoting health and well-being on a global scale.

“I am very passionate about global health,” he writes. As he completed his undergraduate work, Nico said, “I still believe there is a lot of learning I need to do to make a long-lasting difference.

“I want to dive deeper into the field of public policy in order to make systemic changes that will prevent marginalized individuals from continuing to be neglected. I cannot say what the future holds, but I look forward to the unexpected.”

This profile is part of the “Undergraduates in Action” series from the 2024 Annual Report.