By Marena Keci and Naomi Gitlin 

“Matt’s advice about pursuing global health would be not to waste time waiting until you are older, more knowledgeable, or whatever is holding you back from making a difference now,” said his parents, Laura and Tom Weyenberg. “We all can make a difference to someone,” they said.   

The Weyenbergs reflected on their son’s remarkable life, enduring legacy, and the Stritch Center for Community and Global Health’s (CCGH’s) Matt Weyenberg Scholar, created to honor his memory. The CCGH focuses on improving health outcomes for underserved populations through education, research, and service. 

A member of the Stritch Class of 2023, Weyenberg, died from a rare form of cancer in September 2022. Inspired by Weyenberg’s work, this annual distinction will be awarded to a student who embodies his passion for equitable and just care and who is committed to developing and organizing the CCGH’s Global Health Equity dinners.  

At Stritch, Weyenberg was not only an exemplary student but also a passionate advocate for global health and social justice. His dedication to helping others began in childhood. “He knew he wanted to be a doctor early in his teens and shadowed several doctors in high school,” said his parents. His commitment continued at the University of Notre Dame, where he co-founded its chapter of the Global Public Health Brigades and led two brigades to Nicaragua. 

Expanding his reach, Weyenberg taught math and shadowed physicians in a medical clinic in Jinja, Uganda, through Notre Dame’s International Summer Service Learning Program. The following summer, he returned to Uganda on a research grant to study structural barriers to care for sickle cell disease in Kampala, Uganda’s largest city and capital. He expanded his international experience during a semester in Puebla, Mexico, where he lived with a host family, studied at a local university, interned at two public hospitals, and engaged in community health work and traditional medicine. 

Before starting medical school, Weyenberg interned for five months in Liberia with Partners in Health, collaborating with local organizations to strengthen the post-Ebola disease surveillance system in Maryland County, Liberia. “As Matt matured, his view of service changed from something you do, such as an extracurricular or a project, into an outlook. Service became an aspect of everything he did, a lens on the world, and a calling,” his parents said.  

As a participant in the CCGH Honors Program, Weyenberg developed a curriculum focused on neocolonialism in global health, which was incorporated into the Global Health Equity dinners, events that promote awareness and discussion of global health issues. These dinners provide a platform for students, faculty, and community members to talk about health equity, social justice, and the impact of social determinants on health. Weyenberg epitomized the CCGH values of advocacy, solidarity, and social justice and was a model honors student.  

“Matt was someone who was constantly giving and who actively engaged in his local community and at Stritch,” said Theresa Nguyen, MD, associate professor, Emergency Medicine and director, CCGH. 

“The way he would approach certain topics, even when he challenged other's perspectives, made people think and reflect,” said Nguyen. When Nguyen discovered the CCGH honors program, her passion for global health drove her to become involved in teaching and mentoring students. She became CCGH’s assistant director in 2017 and assumed her current role in July 2022.  

As director, Nguyen re-started international, four-week electives (suspended during the pandemic) in countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Bolivia, which offer students the opportunity to work and learn in a clinical setting to increase their knowledge of international healthcare systems. “Before students depart, our robust orientation, including key concepts about global health and safety measures, helps prepare students to literally go out into the world,” said Nguyen.  

In this academic year, Nguyen wants to revamp and expand CCGH’s seminar series with broader topics and a wider range of speakers to make it even more engaging for students.  

The CCGH honors program emphasizes working with underserved populations and educating students on social determinants of health. These factors significantly influence overall health, including mortality, life expectancy, and health status, impacting approximately 80% of health outcomes. 

Honoring Weyenberg’s legacy through this scholar position highlights the profound impact he had on the community. The position is open to any CCGH honors student in the classes of 2025, 2026, or 2027. The scholar must have strong leadership and organizational skills, engage students in discussions, have a strong network of resources and speakers, and develop material for discussion dinners. “They must embody the spirit of who Matt was, go above and beyond, ask challenging questions, break down barriers, and challenge preconceived notions,” said Nguyen. “My advice for students looking to apply is to have a clear vision of themes and topics for the CCGH dinners and propose specific resources and prereading that will be used for the curriculum,” she said. 

Click here for the CCGH honors program application. The deadline is Friday, August 9. 

August 2024