Ryan Keen (COL ’18), a 2018 Jefferson Trust grant recipient for The Human Library initiative, was recently selected as a Forbes Under 30 Fellow, and attended the Under 30 Summit in Boston. The summit focused on bringing together young professionals and leaders from around the world for an opportunity to connect and meet established leaders from various fields. Ryan wrote about The Human Library in his Forbes application, as it greatly shaped his experience while on Grounds and continues to grow as an engaging platform at UVA and in the greater Charlottesville community.
“As a Forbes Fellow, I was allowed to choose a “track” so that I could connect with leaders in a specific field. I chose healthcare as my track, which essentially allowed me to hear from individuals who have co-founded their own health-related initiatives and those who are leading innovative research from the nearby schools MIT and Harvard. It was amazing to be invited into a network of ambitious individuals with similar goals and to be able to share the mission of The Human Library. I’m proud that it has become such a strong and inclusive platform to share all of the amazing stories, and, with the strong support of the Jefferson Trust, it continues to grow and inspire dialogue. I’m really looking forward to seeing the organization’s development in the coming years.” Keen shared.
Ryan will attend Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health next fall to pursue a Masters of Science, after working in a lab at Harvard this year. He also plans to seek a medical degree in the future. Congratulations to Ryan for this distinguishing honor!