Rhoda Wright (MSGH ‘16) Offers Career Advice to Students

Rhoda speaks (with a false background!) to the students virtually.

This week, alumna Rhoda Wright connected with current students over Zoom as part of the program’s Alumni Conversation Series. Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Rhoda holds a Bachelor of Health Science with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Howard University. She was motivated to pursue an M.S. in Global Health at Georgetown by her childhood in Ghana, where she regularly observed health systems failures. She hopes one day to return to help strengthen the country’s health system.

During her time at Georgetown, Rhoda completed the field research module in Ghana with the Navrongo Health Research Centre, focusing on Women’s Perceived Access to Maternal Care in the Kassena Nankana District. Outside of her studies, Rhoda also interned at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation, focusing on Neglected Tropical Disease and repurposed drugs. At FDA, she beta-tested new databases and collaborated with infectious disease doctors to collect relevant data. Despite struggling in Biostatistics (a core course) while at Georgetown, Rhoda found herself drawn to data. Since graduating, she has made it the focus of her career.

After earning her M.S., Rhoda worked in various data analytics and compliance roles at the American Kidney Fund. Currently, she is a Senior Analyst for Technology and Data at Walmart Inc., focusing on philanthropy efforts globally, including an annual $1.4 billion in in-kind and cash donations to drive societal impact across 27 countries. While Rhoda did not anticipate a move toward corporate philanthropy, she started as an intern with a government agency and a full-time position at a non-profit, she revealed that she believes that she can make a difference through the corporate sector because of its extensive resources and global scope. In addition to this role, Rhoda is a consultant and has not lost sight of her long-term goal to make a difference in Ghana.

Offering a final few words to students, she advised, “Whatever you do in your life and career, you can draw upon those [internship] experiences to succeed in a future task. It’s about connecting and leveraging those skills.” To this end, Rhoda shared that she is constantly networking (particularly over LinkedIn) and participating in informational interviews. She’s also always learning, taking advantage of free courses online that help to diversify and deepen her professional skill set.

Thank you to Rhoda for participating in the Alumni Conversation Series!