Leona Bessonova (New York, NY) is a first generation immigrant pursuing a career in public health. Her volunteer work has ranged from serving as a nurse's assistant to leading Hunter College's Women's Rights Coalition as its president. Under Leona's leadership, the Women's Rights Coalition walked for breast cancer, fought for gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, and campaigned to strengthen the reproductive health program on campus. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Epidemiology, and hopes to advance social justice research. $1,000