“My past taught me to persist when systems fail, to find solutions where none exist, and to fight for others who are too often forgotten. My pursuit of medicine is not about prestige, but about justice—for families like mine.”

Kelly Beharry is a dual-degree student at the University of Michigan, pursuing both her MD and a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in international policy. With a vision rooted in justice, Kelly is working to transform health systems so that every child — regardless of immigration status, income, or geography — has the opportunity to thrive.

Kelly’s passion for health equity is grounded in lived experience. Raised in Queens by undocumented immigrant parents from Trinidad and Tobago, she grew up navigating systemic barriers to healthcare, housing, and stability. These early experiences shaped her belief that medicine must serve as a tool for structural change. She went on to earn a degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, where she led health access initiatives such as Vision4Baltimore and worked as a COVID-19 health educator during the pandemic.

At Michigan, Kelly’s advocacy spans clinical, local, and global contexts. She has coordinated asylum evaluations through the University of Michigan Asylum Collaborative, worked to expand Medicaid access for undocumented individuals in Michigan, and served as Chair of the Diversity, Health, and Equity Committee for Second Look @ Michigan. Internationally, she is leading National Institute of Health-supported research in Nepal to implement a newborn screening program and expand access to genetic testing in resource-limited settings.

Kelly is continuing her work in global health policy as a 2025 recipient of the Fellowship for Research to Advance Global Health & Human Rights with Physicians for Human Rights. Her long-term goal is to become a pediatrician and health policy advocate focused on child health justice and international migration. Kelly writes how her background inspired this work: “My past taught me to persist when systems fail, to find solutions where none exist, and to fight for others who are too often forgotten. My pursuit of medicine is not about prestige,” she says, “but about justice—for families like mine.”

CEW+ stands with Kelly’s vision for equitable healthcare and names her the Beth Halloran Scholar.