Butoyi Odetta is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Biology. She has a strong interest in health equity and hopes to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. Her long-term goal is to become a practicing physician and run a clinic serving low-income patients from underserved communities.
This past summer, Butoyi interned at Froedtert’s Town Hall Specialty Clinic, where she had the opportunity to shadow physicians in various specialties, ranging from dermatology to urology. She also worked with patients and learned about the administrative aspects of a health system. Additionally, Butoyi studied abroad in South Africa with UWM’s School of Social Work, where she learned about the country’s health system through hospital and community visits.
Since her freshman year, Butoyi has been a member of the UWM Honors Equity Team, an organization that promotes equity within UWM and surrounding underserved communities. Through this club, she has participated in high school visits to mentor low-income, first-generation students. As a first-generation student herself, Butoyi is passionate about mentoring others like her and encouraging them to succeed in college. She also mentors first-year, first-generation college students through All-In Milwaukee, a scholarship program that she is also a part of.
Outside of school, Butoyi volunteers in the NICU at Aurora Sinai, sometimes working with infants experiencing withdrawal. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family, reading, and binge-watching Netflix.