Misikir Adnew '19

Alumni Profile

Misikir Adnew's strong faith fuels her confidence to follow God's leading: first to Whitworth, then to Yale University, and now in her work with Samaritan's Purse. 

As an international projects apprentice with Samaritan's Purse, Adnew has so far worked in the Philippines and South Sudan, supporting the Christian nonprofit's humanitarian aid outreach. "I love that I get to serve with people who are passionate about meeting the spiritual and physical needs of hurting people," she says. 

From her first semester at Whitworth, Adnew, who is from Ethiopia, wanted to earn a master's in public health and to work in global health. To prepare, she double majored in health science and community health, which allowed her to explore the full spectrum of healthcare. She joined the Whitworth Honors Program, undertaking teaching assistantships, research with her professors, and an internship in Washington, D.C. She also took on extracurricular student-leadership roles. 

Stretching her limits and developing her tenacity wasn't easy, but God's faithfulness and Whitworth's supportive community saw her through. "I knew that challenging myself would get me ready for the intensity of grad school, and it paid off," she says. 

Did it ever: Adnew was accepted into six competitive graduate programs. She followed God's call to the Yale School of Public Health, where she continued to challenge herself – as a research assistant, as co-founder and president of the Yale-Connecticut Hospice Advisory Board, and as a fellow with the Yale Institute for Global Health. 

In her work with Samaritan's Purse, Adnew has observed the need for mental health support for communities that have endured crises. "Someday I would love to work with kids who have gone through traumatic life events and help them piece together a safer reality," she says. "We'll see where God takes me."