Shayna Kudumula’s past, present and future have seemingly coalesced around a single focal point — medicine. 

As a child, Kudumula’s interest in medicine began with a fascination with the human body’s ordinary functions, which held a world of microscopic mysteries. 

As a teen, her growing passion led to solving public health challenges for Nigerian communities during a health care internship, as well as leading online awareness campaigns about neurological disorders. 

And now, starting this fall, her medical aspiration will mean the beginning of a physiology degree on a pre-med track at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  

“Medicine stood out as the one field that fights the invisible enemies of the body while nurturing the human spirit, where building trust can be as life-saving as any other treatment,” Kudumula wrote in her Best and Brightest essay. “No other profession asks you to understand both cells and souls, to care for the science and the story behind every patient.” 

Studying cells and souls is exactly what Kudumula, a student at Pine Creek High School, did last summer. 

During her internship with Leadership Initiatives at Georgetown University, Kudumula developed a creative, affordable solution to protect women and children in Bauchi State, Nigeria, from mosquitoes in a region plagued by malaria.  

Using a shea butter-lemongrass ointment, Kudumula created an effective remedy for outdoor mosquito protection. 

“Her leadership and vision transformed the project into an innovative, culturally resonant and data-driven campaign,” Katrina Lewis, the medical director for the internship, wrote of Kudumula. “Her solution bridged that critical gap, providing a sustainable and accessible intervention that was grounded in both scientific evidence and cultural context.” 

During the internship, Kudumula also worked with Nigerian doctors to diagnose patients suffering from deadly diseases such as anemia, malaria, and typhoid fever. With the help of video-call technology, translators and local doctors administering tests, Kudumula diagnosed and treated a patient with malaria. 

“It was very rewarding,” Kudumula said. “I made her feel safe and comfortable.” 

Kudumula’s achievements don’t end there.  

In addition to her success on the varsity tennis team, teaching Ukrainian students English and earning awards in business communications, Kudumula dedicated time and effort to lead an epilepsy awareness campaign.  

After losing a friend to epilepsy at age 15, Kudumula raised more than $9,000 for the Colorado and Wyoming epilepsy foundation. She also designed and shared educational presentations about seizure first-aid and connected individuals with epilepsy from around the world in a virtual support group.  

It was through that support group that Kudumula met a woman whose infant struggled with epilepsy. Kudumula later talked the young mother through a first-aid situation while the mother waited for first responders to arrive. The first aid saved the child’s life. 

“This campaign made me realize leadership is about showing up and being present when people need you most,” Kudumula wrote in her essay. 

Kudumula didn’t only show up for that woman in her support group; she showed up for the 3,000 students and health care professionals she served as the 2025 Executive State Vice President of Media Relations for Colorado HOSA Future Health Professionals. In that role, she revamped the statewide website and social media platforms, which built connections, increased the visibility of student achievements, and provided students with crucial resources to pursue careers in health care.   

The diversity of health care and medical experiences that Kudumula participated in solidified her desire to pursue a career as a certified doctor, which she hopes will someday culminate in her own clinic and public health nonprofit.