Flinn Scholar Pursues Biomedical Engineering Degree

Elizabeth Ghartey is one of only 20 Arizona high-school students to become Flinn Scholars in 2023. The full-ride scholarship allows her the choice to attend an honors college at any of the state’s three public universities.

She is majoring in biomedical engineering in preparation for becoming a medical researcher or clinician and is leaning toward specializing in genetic blood disorders or women’s health. In the W.A. Franke Honors College, she can choose among many study abroad programs. She is considering the Netherlands for its genetics programs or Switzerland for its strong engineering and medical opportunities.

"A lot of technologies need to be made in order to solve the problems in medicine. And that's where engineering comes in," Elizabeth said. 

She is attending with her twin, Andrew, who plans to earn a degree in electrical and computer engineering, then specialize in orthopedic medicine.

"I'm incredibly grateful," Elizabeth said in an interview with KGUN9. "I think we both realized pretty quickly after our parents left that it's really nice to have someone to lean on, to have another friend nearby."

She ultimately selected the University of Arizona after being impressed with the meaningful research opportunities in the College of Engineering and BIO5 Institute. 

"I realized that they had not only a lot of resources, but they were also a heavily research-oriented university," Elizabeth said. "That was something I really wanted to get involved in in undergrad."