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This Alumna Is Ready to Lead in Healthcare
As a second-year student, Darnisha Augustin (Col ’24) had already made a place for herself at UVA and had some thoughts about her high-school self. “Honestly, if I was to go back to my junior year and say, ‘Darnisha, you’re going to be in Charlottesville, Virginia, and you’re going to be away from family, and you’re going to be living on your own, and you’re going to be kind of an extrovert’—you know, I would have never believed that.”
At that time, Augustin had declared a major in biology, but an internship at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership broadened her outlook. “I hadn’t put myself out there to experience things beyond medicine and biology, so it kind of opened doors for me,” she said. “I might be into working in public health or business administration later on. I’m opening myself up to the other things that I am capable of doing.”
Augustin changed her major to sociology and considered getting a doctorate in the subject. Her advisor, Brian Foster, encouraged her to enroll in the Distinguished Majors Program, which includes a senior thesis, to see if a lifetime of conducting research suited her.
“My research explored the complex intersection of healthcare professionals’ personal lifestyle behaviors and the expectations of their roles as healthcare providers,” Augustin explained. “I discovered how healthcare professionals navigate the often-competing demands of their roles and their own health-related habits. I found that varying levels of leadership and autonomy seem to have an impact on the way healthcare professionals cope with conflict within themselves.”
“Getting accepted into these notable programs … showed me that others saw potential in me and gave me confidence to go down this route.”— Darnisha Augustin
“Getting accepted into these notable programs … showed me that others saw potential in me and gave me confidence to go down this route.”
— Darnisha Augustin
She also discovered that she was more interested in what she learned than in the research process. “It made me think, ‘Where are the strains on the healthcare system where administration could have more of an impact?’” she said.
Augustin consulted with Kelsie Kelly, an assistant professor in the department of public health science in the School of Medicine to compare the career paths for two advanced degrees: a master’s in public health and a master’s in health administration. She ultimately chose the MHA, applied to six programs, and was accepted by all of them.
“Getting accepted into these notable programs—Cornell, Columbia, Georgetown—showed me that others saw potential in me and gave me confidence to go down this route,” she said.
Ultimately, Augustin chose the Sloan Program in Health Administration at Cornell University’s Brooks School of Public Policy. During the admissions process, she met with Ray Mollinedo-Rodriguez (Col ’23), a graduate student at Sloan, and connected with others. “A lot of students were willing to take the time to speak with me—as someone who was just interested,” she said. “I got to know more about not only the program and the curriculum but also the community and culture.”
Augustin was elected president of the Sloan Student Association, serving as a liaison between the administration and student body and managing eight SSA vice presidents who support students by providing résumé reviews, hosting professional development and family weekend events, and other programs. “I had such a great experience my first year in the program and felt welcomed by the Sloan family,” she said. “I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much.”
Between her two years at Sloan, Augustin was an administrative intern at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduation, it is common for MHA recipients to complete a fellowship program that provides mentorship and rotations through different areas of healthcare management. For her fellowship, Augustin returned to her home state of Florida to work at the Cleveland Clinic in the city of Weston. “I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to work close to home,” she said. “It will be great to have that full-circle moment. I will make it a point to see my family every weekend. They won’t let me not do that.”
As Augustin prepared to graduate, she again thought back to her younger self. “I was a completely different girl,” she said. “And maybe she didn’t totally know what was going on, but she trusted her gut and decided to make pivots. And she ultimately found what worked for her.”
While at the University, Darnisha Augustin received support from a Blue Ridge Scholarship. John Griffin (McIntire ’85) created the program in 2014. The scholarships are awarded to students with exceptional academic promise and significant financial need.
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