Through the University of Dayton Human Rights Center’s Kenya Applied Research Practicum, students spent the summer working alongside Dandelion Africa, a Kenyan organization focused on the health and well-being of women and young people in rural communities. Drawing on an interdisciplinary team that included engineering students, the cohort combined technical innovation with social impact. Each student pursued a research question connected to the organization’s work while taking part in its programs and learning from the people they met.
Kadence North, Michael Philip, Fernando DeLeon and Melissa Cronin studied different issues, from family planning and tuberculosis treatment to education and health care workers’ mental wellness. In their own words, they share a moment that stayed with them and the questions that guided their research.
Kadence North
A moment I’ll carry with me
One of my favorite and most meaningful memories from my time in Kenya was getting the opportunity to watch two mothers give birth. I have always been interested in becoming an OBGYN, but before this summer, I had never actually gotten to witness a birth in person. I honestly never expected that I would get an opportunity like that while I was in Kenya, which made the experience even more special to me.
It meant a lot to me that the mothers trusted me enough to allow me to be in the room with them during such a personal and vulnerable moment. Giving birth is such an intimate experience, and I felt so grateful that they were willing to let me be there and be a part of it. It was also just so surreal to watch a completely new life come into the world and realize that I was one of the first people to ever lay eyes on that person.
Getting to witness those births also made my interest in women’s health and becoming an OBGYN feel so much more real. It was one of those experiences that reminded me why I want to go into medicine in the first place, and it is definitely something I will carry with me into medical school and hopefully one day into my career as an OBGYN.
My research: Beyond Availability: Barriers to Meaningful Family Planning Access in Rural Kenya
In collaboration with Dandelion Africa, Kadence examined the conditions that shape meaningful access to family planning in rural communities. Her research drew on interviews, observations and program assessments across health care, education and community sites. She found that the physical availability of contraceptives was only one part of access. Stockouts, travel distance, cost, misinformation, privacy concerns, stigma, side effects and partner dynamics could all affect whether someone was able to make an informed and voluntary decision about their care. Her recommendations included more reliable supplies, confidential counseling and continued mobile outreach.
Michael Philip
A moment I’ll carry with me
One of my favorite memories from the Kenya Research Practicum was getting the opportunity to be a part of the Young Voices for Change day. This was a day full of fun celebration because the children in communities were given the opportunity by Dandelion Africa to voice their needs to county leaders. It was so powerful to help prepare the children to go up on stage and tell their stories. I remember being so proud of every single kid because it takes a lot of courage to stand in front of people and demand better change.
That day was full of dancing and singing; I remember eating cake and singing with all the children in this event. The day was full of laughter and joy. I remember how the day wasn’t just for the children to voice their needs to leaders, but a way for these children to understand that they too can be leaders in their communities; they have a voice just as big as the people they look up to.
My research: Minding the Gap: Analyzing Policy Gaps Between Private and Public Health Sectors Regarding Mental Wellness
Michael studied the mental wellness of health care workers in public and private facilities. Through interviews and focus groups, he explored how staffing, workloads, resources and workplace policies affected workers’ experiences. His findings pointed to a gap between mental health policies and their implementation, especially in public facilities where participants described greater pressure and burnout. His research calls for attention to staffing, confidential support and workplace efforts to reduce stigma.
Fernando DeLeon
A moment I’ll carry with me
My favorite memory for the 2026 Kenya Research Practicum is when I taught in primary and secondary schools in different counties throughout Kenya and created a mentors’ curriculum for secondary schools. I was able to create my own lesson plans regarding historical topics and life skills lessons, such as discipline, advocacy, time management, etc., which led to developing myself to become a better student and educator in the future.
I utilized student-centered learning as I involved hands-on activities, such as jeopardy and role playing, group talks, and class discussions to empower their voices and become more engaged in their work. While teaching in Kenya, it really opened my eyes that education is my vocation in my life and I want to continue to educate the future generations to build a better future in our world.
In addition to teaching in schools, I created a new curriculum for mentors in the Girls for Leaders, Boys for Change program for the Dandelion Africa non-profit organization. The mentors’ curriculum will be utilized in secondary schools throughout Baringo, Nakuru, Narok, and Kajiado counties to help teach and improve the agency of young mentors in their school clubs today.
My research: Examining Generational Disparities in Education for Girls and Women
Fernando’s research explored how girls’ and women’s experiences with education have differed across generations. He interviewed students, young mothers, older adults, and boys and men about the obstacles they encountered, the support available to them and the opportunities they saw for the future. His teaching and curriculum work gave him another way to engage with questions of student leadership and agency.
Melissa Cronin
A moment I’ll carry with me
One of my favorite memories from the Kenya Applied Research Practicum was getting to participate in the Day of the African Child, which is celebrated on June 16. I got to spend the morning at one of the local schools speaking to girls ages 12–17 on the topics of safe sex, consent, and menstrual cycles. I went in with the plan of doing a group question and answer session about consent and how to have safe sex. When I finished my questions and had gotten them to answer, I opened the floor to their questions.
At first they were hesitant but after reassuring them there were no wrong questions, the questions started flooding in. It felt like I was actually making an impact being able to answer their questions and teach the importance of protecting and advocating for themselves. I know at that age it is awkward to talk about safe sex, but the sheer curiosity and desire for information really sparked the conversation to cover not just how to protect themselves but also to learn about their bodies and the natural cycles they go through.
I think as a future physician it is important to understand how to educate others on health topics and that morning presented me the opportunity to do so.
My research: Tuberculosis: Why Some Patients Successfully Complete Treatments While Others Do Not
Melissa spoke with tuberculosis patients, community members, health care workers and community health promoters to better understand what helps or hinders patients in completing treatment. Her findings highlighted gaps in information about tuberculosis, along with stigma, transportation and testing costs, nutritional needs, lost income and medication shortages. The project helped identify the kinds of support patients may need throughout treatment.
The four projects asked different questions, but each grew through time spent listening to people and working with Dandelion Africa. Their reflections capture the moments that made the summer personal; their research shows how those experiences can inform the questions they carry forward.
Kadence North is a senior pre-medicine major with minors in psychology and Spanish. She serves as co-president of Shoes 4 the Shoeless and co-chair of the Student Government Association Public Safety Committee. She is also involved in UDEMS, the pre-medical honors society Alpha Epsilon Delta, and Co-Pilots. Outside of campus, Kadence works as an optometric technician in Dayton. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year before attending medical school and becoming a physician.
Michael Philip is a sophomore pre-med student from Dayton, Ohio. He works as a student athletic trainer and serves as general manager for College Mentors at UD. After graduation, Michael hopes to pursue a Fulbright scholarship and a career in medicine.
Fernando DeLeon is a junior from Aurora, Illinois, double majoring in history and secondary education with a minor in political science. He is a lead peer advisor for EDT 109 and serves on the University Hearing Board and the Catholic Intellectual Traditions Advisory Board. After graduation, Fernando plans to pursue a doctorate in history and become a college professor. He also hopes to continue conducting international research.
Melissa Cronin is a senior health science major from Dayton, Ohio, with a concentration in integrative physiology and a minor in neuroscience. She serves as president of the University of Dayton chapter of the Student Veterans Association. After graduation, Melissa plans to take a gap year before attending medical school and becoming a physician.