Heidi Cope

Class of 2016
Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Heidi Cope, of Raleigh, NC, graduated in May 2016 with degrees in Biology and German and with minors in Chemistry and Public Health. Volunteering in rural India during her junior summer with women’s health inspired her U.S. Fulbright grant, “Sexual Health and Arranged Marriage: Mechanisms for Adolescent Women’s Empowerment and Wellbeing,” which she will begin working on the year following graduation in Delhi and rural Uttar Pradesh. Upon returning to the U.S., Heidi plans to apply to graduate school to become a women’s health professional. As part of the Levine Scholars Program, Heidi interned with the healthcare nonprofit Care Ring. “Working with underinsured and uninsured populations at Care Ring was my gateway into the public health world,” she reflected. “My experience with Care Ring motivated me to pursue other public health opportunities, like working in a research lab on chronic liver disease at Carolinas Medical Center as a Cannon Scholar.” At UNC Charlotte, Heidi participated in Model UN and found that representing countries for the World Health Organization committee fostered her passion for women’s health, both in North Carolina and internationally. Heidi views her undergraduate career at UNC Charlotte as a pivotal experience that helped shape her interests and passions for years to come.