Last Thursday we witnessed the swearing in of the most diverse Congress in the US till date. A total of 127 women were sworn in and one of them is Lauren Underwood. Underwood, aged 32, made history as the youngest black woman ever to be elected into Congress.
Till her swearing in, Lauren was a registered nurse and she has vowed to use her new position to ensure that people who hitherto didn’t have access to healthcare get relief. Lauren Underwood represents the 14th Congressional District of Illinois.
She studied at the University of Michigan, bagging a degree in Nursing. She attended the Johns Hopkins University where she got a Masters Degree and also took a job as a research nurse. In 2010, Underwood joined politics, working with the Department of Health and Human Services. Part of her duties was the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Four years later she was appointed to oversee public health emergencies in Flint, Michigan by the Obama-led administration.
Underwood’s interest in medicine was inspired by the care she received from medical personnel after she was diagnosed with a heart condition when she was only 8-years old. She believes her experiences will be key in helping her reward the faith placed in her by the people of Illinois. She is excited about the work ahead and has promised the people of Illinois to give her best.
