September 2012 - GSO News

Page 8

...from “Lakiea J Bailey”, pg. 5 Library Website Redesign. Outside of GRU, Lakiea was heavily involved in a variety of advocacy projects with the sickle cell disease community. Lakeia’s drive to increase community awareness to Sickle Cell Disease sparked from the fact that she suffers from this disease herself. Through her Ph.D, Lakeia has had a long, perilous journey of combatting the illness and has come out to be one of the most inspiring students on GRU campus. Despite health concerns,

Lakeia served as a co-administrator and was a contributing author of the Sickle Cell Warriors non-profit community. She also had the privilege of being a science advisor for the WDC trait awareness campaign and represented Georgia’s sickle-cell community to address ongoing health disparities. When asked about her strategy to ‘survive’ at GRU and in Augusta, Lakiea responded “God, family, and church have served as my pressure release valves. Between the stress of graduate school and constant concerns for my health, I have found that these three provide a source of

comfort, encouragement and laughter.” Lakiea’s goal is to serve as a link between the bench side and bedside community. Lakiea seeks to combine her scientific experiences with her strong understanding of patient advocate and healthcare policies to reach her aim. Lakiea has been a source of inspiration for students over the years. She is an epitome of perservence, dedication and passion for science. The Graduate Student Organization thanks Lakiea for sharing her story and wishes her the best in her professional journey. O

GSO Pool Party 2012

Provided by Namita Hattangady

The GSO News

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