If things had gone a bit differently, I could have been writing this blog post about asteroids.

Thankfully, my mother steered me away from Astronomy and towards Common Human Diseases when I was choosing a science class before my freshman year at the University of Notre Dame. I got to class that first day expecting to cover cancer and heart disease and maybe something a little more “exotic,” like malaria. I did not expect my professor to launch into a lecture on seven diseases I had never heard of – neglected tropical diseases, to be precise. I definitely did not expect for that class to change the course of my college career and eventually lead me to where I am today at END7.

The more I learned about NTDs that first semester of college, the more I wondered how I could have made it through eighteen years of life without hearing the name of a single one. NTDs infect more than a billion people worldwide, yet they receive scant attention in the media. I was shocked to learn that, though affordable and effective medicines exist to treat and prevent all seven of the most common NTDs, the people most at risk often lack access to them. My professor for Common Human Diseases, Fr. Tom Streit, founder of the Notre Dame Haiti Program, had been fighting for increased attention to the scourge of NTDs in countries like Haiti for two decades, so he understood the frustration I was feeling. He encouraged me to channel my frustration into something productive: and thus,  was born.

We started small at first, cooking up plans for the following school year. We decided to launch in 2010 with “NTD Awareness Week”, organizing five events over the course of one week in October. The biggest hit definitely fell under the “wacky” category: a “Dirt Cup” dessert sale to raise money and awareness about soil-transmitted helminthes. With chocolate pudding “mud,” Oreo cookie crumb “dirt,” and gummy “worms,” the desserts flew off the table. Emboldened by our success, the members of ND Fighting NTDs planned over the next three years, from trips to Chicago to meet with pharmaceutical industry leaders to a barefoot Zumba class celebrating TOMS’ Day Without Shoes and pretty much everything in between. All told, our club has raised over $10,000 for the Global Network and the Notre Dame Haiti Program, and with new leadership set to succeed me, I know ND Fighting NTDs isn’t slowing down any time soon.

At my recent graduation, I reflected on everything I’d learned in college, and realized that so much of it was connected to my involvement with the club. Through ND Fighting NTDs, I learned invaluable lessons about leadership, fundraising, and the complexities of global health and international development. Most of all, I learned about the power of solidarity: that when people feel a connection to others in need, no matter how far away they live or how different their circumstances, they will go to incredible lengths to try to help.

How far will you go?

I was so moved by my experience working as a student advocate for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases that I accepted a full-time position here after graduation. I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to help expand the Global Network’s grassroots outreach through the campaign. If you’re ready to join our team of grassroots advocates, check out our Action Kit for ideas and resources to get started with your own fundraising or advocacy event – it’s easier than you think to get involved! And if you’re a student, a member of a faith-based group, or anyone else ready to get other people inspired, shoot me an e-mail at – I’d love to help you bring the END7 cause to your campus, place of worship, or community!