By: Javacia Harris Bowser
For the Albert Schweitzer Fellows of Alabama “cultural competency” isn’t a buzz word. They know that to give people the health care they need and deserve, understanding and appreciating different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds is key.
Three 2025-2026 fellows have focused their projects on cross cultural communication with young people.
Dan Zhang and Britney Le are helping fifth and sixth graders develop a strong sense of cultural competency through an “international passport” project, introducing the students to various aspects of cultures around the world, including dance performances, language classes, and food-making demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Divya Annamalai is focused on post-secondary education prep and career readiness of immigrant and refugee youth and young adults.
All three are doing their part to help create healthier futures for everyone in our communities.
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Britney Le and Dan Zhang
Curious, not critical. Ask, listen, and learn.
That’s the motto Britney Le and Dan Zhang lead their group of fifth- and sixth-graders in repeating each week as part of their ASF project.
Each Wednesday afternoon Britney and Dan meet with 15 to 20 students who are part of the afterschool program at the YMCA in Downtown Birmingham. Each month the kids explore a different country or region and each week they’re introduced to a different aspect of the place’s culture – such as language, art, or dance.
“We specifically wanted to target the fifth and sixth grade age group because they’re getting old enough to the point where they’re starting to be curious about people who are different from themselves, and starting to get an idea that other people have different beliefs or come from different backgrounds, but they’re also not too old to where they don’t have as much room for growth,” Dan said.
So far, they’ve covered China, India, Latin America, and South Korea. Soon they’ll explore Vietnam.
“We’re very surprised with how engaged the kids are,” Britney said. “They’re always asking questions and are always very excited to learn more each week.”
When they studied China, the kids started saying “Hello” and “Thank you” in Mandarin. When they studied India, the students started saying the popular Internet meme and slang term “6-7” in Hindi.
“It showed me and Dan that they’re actually listening and learning things and we’re actually making an impact in some way with them,” Britney said.
But the kids aren’t the only ones learning from this project.
“I feel like we’re learning at the same time as those kids as well,” Britney said, adding that she and Dan have collaborated with cultural groups at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and groups in the Birmingham area to create presentations on various countries and regions.
And they’re learning as much about communication as they are about other cultures.
“Dan and I are both in medical school, so we’re having to learn how to communicate very complex information into something a patient can understand very well,” Britney said. “I think we’re developing those skills as we explain things to an audience of fifth and sixth graders. So, I think it’s really helped my communication skills to really adapt from audience to audience.”
If you think Britney and Dan’s project isn’t connected to public health, think again.
“I think it’s really important for kids at these ages to be exposed to different cultures because what you learn when you’re younger really impacts the way you view life as you get older,” Britney said. “That’s why Dan and I really wanted to focus on kids and cultural competency, because even now, in the workplace, in healthcare, people are having to go through cultural competency training programs, but we wanted to go upstream and teach kids from the beginning what it means to be respectful with people are different from you.”
Dan encourages future Albert Schweitzer Fellows to think outside the box when developing their projects.
“I’d encourage them to explore something that they’re truly interested in,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be directly healthcare related. Pursue those personal interests and make something out of that that they’ll truly enjoy, because I think that has made a huge impact in our view of the fellowship and our experience.”
Divya Annamalai
Divya Annamalai admits her ASF project has been a “humbling experience.” First, she had to pivot from her original idea. Divya, a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heersink School of Medicine, initially wanted to help refugee youth document their lived experiences through photography. Eventually, she decided instead to focus on post-secondary education preparation and career readiness for immigrant and refugee youth and young adults.
But even within this new focus, Divya has had to be flexible.
“When I first started, I found myself basing the development of this project on my own experiences in school, assuming that others might have similar goals, resources, or pathways such as pursuing a four-year degree or going into a health field,” she said. “However, as I got to work on this project and more interactions with this population, I came to realize that for many, attaining a GED or going to trade school may be more aligned with their interests and circumstances.”
Divya said she also came to see how much socioeconomic background and language barriers shape the opportunities available to the people she’s seeking to work with.
“These experiences helped me see the naivety and limitations in my initial thinking and highlighted the importance of approaching this work with greater cultural humility and awareness,” she said.
Divya has partnered with Alabama Interfaith Refugee Partnership (ALIRP) for her project. She’s also working closely with Jefferson State Community College, the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!) and other local organizations to develop workshops for refugee youth and young adults.
“I hope to start conducting workshops to my target population and translate what I’ve learned about college and career readiness into meaningful resources,” she said. “My goal is to take the insights gathered from stakeholders and turn them into engaging sessions and focus groups that can support and learn from participants as they explore different pathways.”
Most of the people Divya’s seeking to work with are Spanish speakers so she’s had to overcome language barriers during her project, too.
“The sensitivity of my target population has definitely been a unique challenge, as I have to be considerate and aware of how the current sociopolitical climate affects their availability and willingness to participate in events,” Divya added.
Despite the challenges, Divya said interviewing various stakeholder groups got her excited about her project.
“Several people have expressed enthusiasm for the project and a willingness to support and work together,” she said. “Hearing that others see value in what I’m doing has been incredibly encouraging and has helped me stay motivated through some of the challenging parts.”
Furthermore, Divya knows that her project – including its challenges – is helping to prepare her for life after medical school.
“While I don’t know what specialty I want to pursue after medical school as of yet, I do know that I want to work closely with underserved communities and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds,” she said. “Regardless of the field I ultimately pursue, I hope to be in a role where I can advocate for equitable care access and create meaningful relationships with patients whose experiences may differ from my own. This project has been an important step toward this. It has allowed me to engage with individuals of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and has allowed me to learn to adapt, listen and respond with cultural competency — skills I hope to carry into my medical career.”
