James Arinaitwe
College of Medicine
After graduating from medical school in the U.S., James Arinaitwe, a Biomedical Mathematics major and a Business Administration minor, plans on returning to his home country of Uganda and utilizing his knowledge and passion for education for the greater good of his people. As a youth, death wove itself throughout his family: his mother passing away due to cancer, his father succumbing to AIDS, and all four of his biological siblings also laid to rest before he even became a teenager.
James nevertheless sees beyond his dismal beginnings and seeks to wring each opportunity afforded to him, not only for himself but also for the people of Uganda. One of his most fervent insistences is the need for proper healthcare for Africans. “I know that most people in Africa lack good healthcare. Therefore when I graduate from medical school, I am returning home to open up a hospital which will be able to assure good and affordable healthcare to the citizens, but more importantly, health care for those in dire need,” claims James, “Furthermore, the hospital will create jobs for other potential nurses, doctors, and staff. It will do its part to alleviate unemployment.”
James is currently president of the African Student Association, a position which he employs to spread awareness about the conditions of Africa and its people. He thus has become more prolific in voicing Africa’s educational paucity. For James, it has become clear that education is the most powerful defense the continent has against poverty and disease. As the campus Chairperson for One Here…One There, an organization which seeks to fund the education of children in Africa through raising donations on college campuses, he further demonstrates his fervor for educating young Africans. So far his efforts being apart of this organization has led him to petition Florida State to allow students the option of donating a portion of their tuition each semester ($20 or so at the minimum) to fund educational endeavors in Africa.
James also understands his aim to ultimately become a physician has a distinct relation to public policy. “I would like to impact some changes in the policy sector so that policies made will benefit people with little or no benefits”. He claims that often the benefits which governments allocate are denied to the ones most in need of it. Through his current platforms, he hopes to teach policy makers to consider the “people of the grassroots” when allocating resources and benefits. Truly his concern resonates in his speech and motives.
James was named 2006 Valedictorian for Tallahassee Community College. Presently, he has a full scholarship to attend FSU, a tuition waiver granted to him from the FSU International Center, and a Housing Scholarship from the Southern Scholarship Foundation & Rotary Club of Tallahassee. In addition, he is a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two Year College, and a member of the TCC Honors Club Alumni.