SPHHS Students Bannon, Christophe, and Tran Named 21st Century Leaders
They will be honored for their exemplary achievements, initiative, and leadership
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The University of Massachusetts Amherst will honor kinesiology major Sean Bannon and public health sciences majors Naicha Christophe and Caroline Tran as 21st Century Leaders during the 2024 Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 18, at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Each year, the university honors 10 of its most talented and accomplished graduating seniors each year for their exemplary achievements, initiative, and leadership.
Sean T. Bannon, of Winchester, a Commonwealth Honors College student, is graduating on the pre-medical track with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
As a junior, Bannon won a UMass Amherst Rising Researcher Award, the highest award an undergraduate can receive in research, for his honors thesis, “Role of MitoTempo in Attenuating Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Fast-Twitch Skeletal Muscle Induced by Cigarette Smoke.”
While pursuing his degree, he worked in research labs at the UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences, Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic. His investigations of the effects of cigarette smoke on the human body have appeared in two co-authored papers, and he has first-authored papers under review at the American Journal of Pathology and Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Bannon has presented his findings at national conferences and is an ad hoc peer-reviewer for high-impact journals such as the Journal of Life Sciences.
Beyond the lab, Bannon is an operations supervisor at the UMass Amherst Recreation Center, and is a peer advisor and teaching assistant for the Department of Kinesiology.
An accomplished athlete, Bannon completed an Ironman triathlon at age 19. He is now training to swim the English Channel this summer and hopes to one day achieve the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Bannon plans to accumulate more experience in clinical research before applying to medical school.
Naicha Chamille Christophe, of Taunton, is earning dual degrees in psychology and public health, with a certificate in criminology. Christophe’s dedication to social justice and public health is evident in her extracurricular and research endeavors. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she is president of the Haitian American Student Association and reactivated the organization’s charity initiative, P.E.A.C.H., to help raise nearly $6,000 for the Haitian Health Foundation and for winter blankets to donate to a local migrant shelter.
She has interned at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School’s Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, as well as its Center for Addiction Medicine, where she co-authored a research paper about opioid-use disorder and smoking cessation.
Christophe is a strong advocate for students of color, making their voices heard through her involvement on the executive boards of multiple student organizations, in peer mentoring programs and with the “Day by Day” podcast that explores the unique challenges faced by students of color. She has also served the community as a tour guide, residential assistant, teaching assistant and as secretary of registry for the Student Government Association.
After graduating, Christophe plans to move to North Carolina to join the emerging leaders program at Fidelity Investments, after which she hopes to attend law school.
Caroline Tran, of Everett, is a member of the Commonwealth Honors College and a pre-medical-track student graduating with dual degrees in microbiology and public health sciences. The daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, she proudly embraces her status as a first-generation college student.
Tran is deeply passionate about youth development, equitable education access and community service. Under assistant professor Christine St. Laurent in the “Moove and Snooze Lab,” Tran completed her honors thesis, “Understanding Family Childcare Providers’ Knowledge and Practices Relating to Children’s 24-Hour Movement Behaviors.” She also started a free college application assistance program for underrepresented high schoolers, guiding students through the application process and conducting workshops on topics related to the university experience.
As president of the Student National Medical Association–Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, Tran co-led UMass’ first pre-health formal with the Pre-Medical Society and supported a mentorship program that paired over 80 upperclassmen with underclassmen. She additionally served as vice president for Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., mentoring sorority chair officers to raise thousands of dollars for philanthropies and spreading cultural awareness. Tran has also been a peer advisor in multiple departments, assisting hundreds of UMass students with their academic concerns.
After graduating, Tran plans to work at Boston Children’s Hospital, build her beauty business, expand her college assistance program, and apply to medical school. She hopes to eventually create her own philanthropic organization.
Read more about all of the UMass Amherst 21st Century Leaders here.