Meet Queentela Benjamin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Queentela Benjamin.

Queentela, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Detroit, Michigan. However, I spent most of my formative years in the greater Atlanta area. I also spent about three years living and schooling in Nigeria – where my family is from. These geographic areas are different in many respects, and, thus, they imparted on me unique experiences that have collectively contributed to my overall personal and professional development.

Detroit taught me grit, as it was the town my immigrant parents landed when they moved to the US over 20 years ago. I watched them work hard to fend for my siblings and me, in hopes that we would one day be candidates for the ‘American Dream.’ I particularly remember my mom having to juggle many hats at once – a teacher, a student, a mom, a wife, a daughter. I don’t know how she did it. I don’t know how she still does it.

Atlanta showed me potential. I moved to Cobb County, Georgia in the 7th grade. For me, this move meant that I had a clean canvas on which I could paint on – dreams, goals, visions. While the realization of these goals seemed distant, I understood that the seemingly small decisions that I made then were integral for the foundation that I’d lay for my future. I sought out smart minds to associate with and looked for avenues to challenge myself. Marinating in such environments helped me to continue to raise the bar on what I thought I could achieve. I later went on to successfully complete the International Baccalaureate program at Campbell High School and was selected as a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, which granted me a full-ride scholarship to Boston University. I am eternally grateful to God for blessing my efforts and giving me hope.

Today, I reside in Boston, where I am completing graduate degrees in Biomedical Science and Public Health (MS/MPH) in addition to working with health institutions to build capacity for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). Overall, my life experience from the city of Detroit, to the town of Aba, Nigeria and to the suburbs of Atlanta – have all laid a crucial foundation that has given me confidence and zeal. However, I am aware that there is much more to learn, especially since I am pretty early in my professional career. So, I make it a personal goal of mine to stay curious and maintain a spirit of humility.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My mom always tells me that “Nothing good comes easy.” So, in that light, no, it has not been a smooth road for me at all. It hasn’t actually been a one-way road. There have been bumps, detours, U-turns, bridges – you name it. Like everyone, I have faced challenges unique to my journey, but I see them as integral to my growth.

Rather than focusing on the challenges themselves, I’d like to underscore the values that I built through them. These values include perseverance, confidence and commitment. Perseverance is an everyday mantra for me and this means me putting my best foot forward. I vividly remember a few times when I did not meet the performance goals that I set for myself on certain subject tests. I’d call my mom and break down in tears. The first thing she’d ask me is, “Did you do your best?”. I’d say yes and then she’d reassure me that my best is good enough and how proud she was of me. These words really gave me the boost I needed to get up and continue the race.

Confidence is a quality that I have grown through exposure and experience. In both my academic and professional environments, I am constantly in rooms with people who do not look like me – interfacing with individuals of different backgrounds and beliefs. In such environments, it is easy for self-doubt and imposter syndrome to set in. For me, gaining confidence in my craft, speech and the diversity of my background allowed me to overcome the challenges. Lastly, commitment has been essential to overcome my struggles. While this quality needs no definition, I’d like to add an ‘asterisk’ to this thought. I believe in commitment with flexibility (*doesn’t apply to marriage). Commit to that goal but leave room for flexibility because there can, indeed be, U-turns, detours, bumps and bridges along the way.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
The core of my work focuses on helping individuals gain access to better health by leveraging existing tools and resources within their communities. I do this through multiple ways. In the academic space, I conduct research on health disparities and its impact on important health metrics such as infant mortality rates. In the healthcare non-profit world, I support hospitals and health centers to structure programs that address SDOH in addition to managing a database of community resources that are used to connect patients to critical resources that impact their underlying health needs. In the biotech space, I am learning about precision medicine and how access to genetic sequencing lab tools helps inform the care that advanced-stage cancer patients receive – saving costs and improving prognosis.

At the crux of all of these engagements is my desire to increase access to essential tools – particularly for underserved and marginalized populations.

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
Good question. In the short-term, I hope to continue to engage in meaningful work that allows me to combine my background in public health and biomedicine. I have specific interest areas; however, I am looking forward to further defining my niche in my early professional years. Understanding the ‘business of healthcare’ is something that really excites me right now because it lends me the opportunity to incorporate my long-term love for quantitative subjects. I recently took a class titled ‘Health Care Organization’, where we went into depth about health insurance fee schedules, financial budgeting for health institutions, etc. I like the thought process that goes into key decisions around health financing, so I’m looking forward to opportunities in this angle.

In the long-term, I’d like more professional experience internationally. I’ve worked with an international organization in Switzerland for the short-term and that really interested me. Once I define my niche, scaling it globally would be a goal of mine. Whichever path that I take, it is important for me to constantly pause, rest and reflect, and particularly never to lose sight of things that matter to me – family and my spirituality. It’s so easy to be on a constant ‘go’ during these times. But in recent years, I have realized that there are more important things to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/queentelabenjamin/
• Email: queentela@yahoo.com

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.