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keepingupwithtarik

@keepingupwithtarik

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🌍Public Health + Health Equity Advocate
🔺1913
✨Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.

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Prayer. Grit. Community. Discipline.

Let me tell you about the little girl who, through prayer, community, and discipline, earned her white coat.🥹

Coming to this country was not easy. My mom, a physician trained in Russia, sacrificed her own dreams to make sure we survived after being kicked out by my father. She worked endlessly as a cashier, walking to and from work just to provide for us. At the time, I was too young to understand her sacrifices or why she pushed education so hard, when I hated school.

I still kept going, learned English and excelled to the best that I could. But life kept testing me. When I was 15, doctors told me I had 24 hours to live and needed emergency brain surgery. I used to ask my mom why do we keep going through life like this. She would tell me it will get better. Learning to walk and talk again gave me a second chance at life and a whole new perspective.

Then the time came to go to college but there was no money, so I had to get a scholarship. By God’s grace and the help of my second mom Ms.Clarke, who helped me learn how to apply and complete my applications in order to get me to school. Thank You ❤️

And even after that, life still tested me. These past few years pushed me to my limits. I learned grave lessons, almost lost my life again, and almost lost my mom. There were so many moments I truly wanted to give up. But my FRIENDS who are my FAMILY stepped in and carried me. Thank You ❤️

So today, this white coat is not just mine. It belongs to my mother, my friends, my mentors, and every person who prayed for me, protected me, fed me, gave me money, housed me, took me to school, and believed in me. Thank You ❤️

My young 26 years of life so far has taught me that you can either be a survivor or a victim. There is real strength in surviving. And no matter how hard life gets be humble, be kind, never stop giving to others, take everything as a lesson not a regret, and keep going. One day, everything you survived will make sense. 🤍🥼

Thank God for the end of this story ✌🏽🍾
Now to the beginning of purpose 🥳🥳 by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 months ago

Lemme take you to the islands babyyyy taken in Cupe Coy, Sint Maarten by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 months ago

3rd degree officially completed. 🎓

It’s crazy to think I used to hate school, and here I am still going. Let alone earning my Master’s from the #1 school for Public Health.

During this journey I:
✅ Worked full time as a Chemistry teacher
✅ Taught Environmental Systems in Spanish
✅ Worked part time as a Pharmacy Technician
✅ Became trilingual and fluent in Spanish
✅ Developed and implemented a health fair for the Houston community at a local high school
✅ Volunteered at a homeless shelter supporting the LGBTQ+
✅ Volunteered at a free clinic as a translator and triage volunteer servicing underserved communities
✅ Interned in Peru and developed a menstrual health education curriculum focused on educating women about reproductive and menstrual health
✅ Completed and published my thesis on Improving Community Networks to Reduce Risk Factors for Food Insecurity Among Children Under 18 in Vance County

This degree taught me to view health not just as a clinical issue, but as a systemic one shaped by education, access, environment, policy, culture, and community. Forever grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this journey.

- Tarik Mamo, MPH by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 months ago

New chapter 🥂🥂 by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 months ago

Ya girl is officially a LANDLORD at 26 🥳✨

Bought my home at 22, and what started as a milestone turned into a whole chapter. I never thought I’d be here this long, but every moment, lesson, and memory was worth it.

To everyone who helped me build, grow, and make this house a home… I’m forever grateful. I wouldn’t trade you for anything 🤍

Now it’s time to pass my baby on and let someone else create their own story here 🥹🏡

Cheers to growth, elevation, and new beginnings 💫

P.S. - Shoutout to all the strong, independent women… never dim your light ✨ by @keepingupwithtarik

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6 months ago

I’ll be your piece. taken in Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez by @keepingupwithtarik

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8 months ago

If pressure was a person 💎 by @keepingupwithtarik

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a year ago

Exclusive 🖤

#weddingtings #livingmybestlife taken in All Black Affair by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 years ago

At the age of 7, I came from Ethiopia no English and no money. My single mother worked several jobs to get me through school. She always tells me “education will set you free”. Now I finished undergrad DEBT FREE with TWO DEGREES. To my immigrants WE DID IT 🥳🥳🥳!!! To anyone who feels like giving up keep going!!! 🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹
#habesha #fullride #2degreeshotter #hbcugrad #beautyandbrains taken in Ethiopia by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 years ago

TODAY I graduated from the from the FIRST degree granting HBCU Lincoln University of Pennsylvania🧡💙. I want to thank God, my mother, my mentors, and my friends who helped me get to this point today. Within these past 4 years I accomplished:

✅ B.S. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
✅ B.S. of Biology
✅ Magna Cum Laude 3.79 GPA
✅ Dean’s list 2017-2021
✅ Full-time Pharmacy Technician
✅ Publication on TBI research
✅ Teaching Assistant for Calculus 1 and 2
✅ Teaching Assistant for Anatomy and Physiology
✅ Student Senator
✅ Resident Advisor
✅ Program Coordinator for TWO research internships
✅ President of S.A.C.N.A.S
✅ Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society
✅ 1st place in Science Fair every year
✅ Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. SPR’21

I’m OFFICIALLY 2 DEGREES HOTTER 🥳

Forever a Lion 🦁, OFFICIALLY AN ALUMNA👩🏽‍🎓. taken in Lincoln University of PA by @keepingupwithtarik

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5 years ago