Delivering medical assistance holds significance, but access is equally crucial

Morgan Byers was raised in Commerce, Georgia, a town of roughly 8,200 inhabitants, where she witnessed the challenges posed by limited medical access. She was especially concerned about the alarmingly high maternal mortality rate prevalent in the Southern region.

“The South consistently ranks lowest in maternal mortality rates in the nation, attributable to a complex blend of racial and gender bias, economic disparity, and insufficient reproductive health services,” stated Byers ’26. “It genuinely breaks my heart that as medical science progresses, these areas and women remain entirely neglected, facing the same maternal mortality outcomes in 2025 that Massachusetts experienced in the 1970s.”

This viewpoint fueled the Pforzheimer resident’s aspiration to become a physician and motivated her to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to her education.

“I ultimately concluded that studying human developmental and regenerative biology through the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, which is highly focused on research, was the right choice. I combined that with government studies, allowing me to explore medicine, research, and access,” the double concentrator explained.

Harvard has been “a transformative journey” for her, enabling her to “explore virtually everything,” she reflected. The summer following her first year, Byers traveled to Portugal via the Office of International Education to work alongside the country’s healthcare professionals.

“I was captivated by Portugal’s universal health care model after studying it in a health economics course,” Byers recounted. “That summer, each day I immersed myself in a different medical specialty, amazed by the wealth of knowledge I was absorbing. However, I was even more intrigued by the healthcare system and how policy directly influences medical practice.”

In addition to her academic pursuits, Byers serves as an EMT with Crimson EMS and engages in research at the Breault Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. Under the guidance of Daniel Zeve, an endocrinologist and educator in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Byers investigates intestinal organoids and enteroendocrine cells.

Furthermore, she functions as a campus tour guide and supports Boston high school students through the Emerging Leaders Program at Radcliffe Institute.

While she has made the most of her time at the College, Byers admitted she wasn’t always confident about being able to enroll. “No one in my family had ever attended university before,” she disclosed. Her mother serves as an administrative assistant in a high school, whereas her father is involved in equipment management.

She continued: “I genuinely did not believe Harvard was a feasible opportunity for me. I was hesitant to get my hopes up, fearing they would be dashed.”

Even after gaining admission, Byers noted her family was still apprehensive about financing her education. “It’s genuinely the greatest blessing imaginable,” she expressed. “I was concerned I might have to decline due to financial constraints, but thanks to substantial tuition aid, that wasn’t the case.”

Her mother, Mandy Byers, remarked: “Without Harvard’s financial assistance program and the fantastic individuals at the admissions office we engaged with initially, I doubt it would have been a viable option for her.”

The 21-year-old aims to attend medical school in the Southern region, where she aspires to enhance healthcare access. Numerous courses at Harvard have emphasized the significance of implementation science, which examines strategies to integrate evidence-based practices into public health.

“I envisioned being a connection between the resource-rich areas of the world, like Harvard, and locations that are in desperate need of such research,” she articulated. “Those locales are small communities throughout the South, akin to the tiny one I hail from. My primary aim is to concentrate on facilitating access for individuals in rural medical deserts to prevent avoidable illnesses.”

“Morgan possesses more ambition and determination than many adults,” her mother shared. “She desires to assist others, and I truly cannot envision her pursuing anything else. Even if medicine doesn’t pan out, it will involve serving others in some capacity.”

Byers recognized that some students arrive at college with a definitive vision for their academic and future trajectory. “I have actively sought to avoid that mindset,” she remarked. “I’ve made a concerted effort to appreciate the fact that I can carve my own path at every opportunity.”