Mary Gates Endowment for Students

Sneha Bansal

Project

Bridging the Gap: Establishing a Concussion Alliance Chapter at UW

I founded the first chapter of Concussion Alliance as a student organization at UW. The goals of the student chapter are: to educate the campus community about concussion risks, symptoms and management, to collaborate with campus sports teams and local schools in implementing concussion risk reduction and awareness programs, to organize fundraising events supporting concussion research and advocacy initiatives, and to provide a platform for students interested to gain practical experience in science communication, public health, and patient advocacy.

What I learned

At 16, I experienced a concussion that opened my eyes to the glaring need for more accessible resources and compassionate advocates for patients with mild TBIs. Feeling misunderstood by doctors, struggling to receive specialized care, and receiving contradictory medical advice from professionals was an isolating experience that reinforced my commitment to becoming an informed advocate for patient education and accessibility. Through this project, I learned that leadership is not just about starting something new, but that it’s also about seeing it through in a way that betters the lives and experiences of my community. I learned to derive inspiration from my experiences, and motivate my fellow club members towards our common goal of a safer, more aware campus-wide community that can advocate for concussion risk reduction.

Advice for future applicants

My advice would be to write from the heart and let your passion shine. Having defined goals for your project and a clearly outlined plan of how you would go about it will definitely set you up for success!

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