“Ma’am, I’m scared to speak English.”
Or, as she said in Assamese: “mem ingrajee ka'boloi bhoy khaiso.”
That sentence, a whisper from a shy young girl to my colleague, replayed in my head for a few days after our first clinic day at Arda Public School. Despite my warmest smile and a heart full of welcome, she remained hesitant to communicate with me. Language is one of the most powerful connectors we have, but also one of the most formidable barriers. I arrived in Northeast India filled with excitement to begin health workshops with schoolchildren across the region. I expected challenges, of course, but I hadn’t realized how daunting communication would be, especially with the younger, quieter students who primarily speak Mising or Assamese at home. And yet, instead of discouraging me, this only fueled my determination to learn how to connect and reach the children in other meaningful ways.
Since then, I’ve been learning some Assamese and Mising phrases so I can introduce myself to students in their languages. It’s imperfect and vulnerable, but that’s the point. I hope that when they hear me try, they’ll feel safe enough to try speaking English too, because I want these health workshops to be more than just information sessions. I want them to be spaces of mutual effort and growth. That’s why I’m redesigning all my slides to include both English and Assamese, sourcing videos with subtitles, and leaning heavily on the generous support of my colleagues at Sunbird Trust. Together, we review everything from spelling to phrasing, to ensure the children don’t just hear the information, but truly understand it.
Why does this matter so much? Because the need for this information is urgent. During the first clinic day at Arda Public School, we discovered that every single child at Arda Public School was iron-deficient anemic. 100%. The very next day, I doubled the time dedicated to the nutrition workshop and collaborated with their teacher on the spot to translate key points into Assamese. I discussed local foods that were cheap, readily available in walking distance, and importantly, high in iron. This statistic, I wanted them to know, could be changed by the students themselves with the right knowledge and resources.
I walked away from Arda Public School on Friday afternoon, after one clinic day and two days of workshops, filled with both pride and reflection. There is so much I’ll take with me into the weeks ahead, including lessons both about language and teaching, and what it means to build genuine connection in a world that too often defaults to transactional relationships.
Hello! I'm Tatum, a rising junior at Columbia University originally from Columbus, Ohio. I’m studying Biology on the pre-med track with aspirations of becoming a pediatric physician. My passion for pediatric cardiology stems from my own experience as a child with congenital heart disease.
This summer, as my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project, I’ve traveled to Majuli Island in Assam, India, to conduct a community health initiative in partnership with Sunbird Trust, a local educational NGO. My project includes leading interactive health education workshops for adolescents across eight private schools, covering topics like nutrition, stress management, menstrual health, first aid, and sanitation. It has been an eye-opening opportunity to step into the role of educator, connect across cultures, and help empower students to take charge of their health.
Last summer, I completed my first summer Laidlaw research project at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where I built a database of over 700 pediatric cardiomyopathy patients and analyzed athletic restriction patterns for children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. That work is now being developed into a publication.
Beyond the classroom and clinic, I’m a student-athlete on Columbia’s softball team, a member of Columbia Christian Athletes, and part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. I love exploring NYC, especially through food, performances, long walks, and bike rides! I also value time spent simply relaxing with family and loved ones.
I’m incredibly grateful to the Laidlaw Foundation for supporting both my research and leadership journeys. I look forward to continuing to grow as a scholar, leader, and future physician.
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Hi Tatum, your workshops sound brilliant and the impact you've had is admirable. I hope to make a similar impact with my LiA next year!