Joseph expanded his role at his local NHF chapter with the skills he learned through NYLI. Learn more about his journey!
Tell us about yourself.
Hi! My name is Joseph Mah, I’m 22 and I’m a Biomechanics Analyst at the Colorado Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center. I started working with the Colorado Chapter after graduating with a Biological and Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder in May 2022.
Congrats, Joseph! So, you were a member of NYLI during school. How did you first hear about the program?
My older brother was involved with some of the older adult leadership opportunities in the bleeding disorders community and mentioned that the deadline for the NYLI application was coming up. So I decided to go for it! It seemed like a great opportunity to travel and grow my leadership skills.
Did NYLI meet your expectations?
Being able to travel to all the big NHF events every year was just as cool as I hoped. And it was a great opportunity to meet people with bleeding disorders from all over the country. I feel like I learned so much about community and was able to see it from so many more angles while part of the program. My peers inside of NYLI definitely exceeded my high expectations, as they are all such great people and interacting with them was always the highlight of every event.
What’s your favorite memory from NYLI?
My favorite memory is probably going on an overly arduous journey to get dinner with two other NYLI members during a snowy May evening in Denver.
What was your most impactful takeaway from NYLI?
I think overall I have been able to take many of the leadership lesson NYLI taught me and apply them to an expanded role in my local chapter. While I think while the individual lessons of leadership, advocacy, and facilitation have all been valuable, the greatest takeaway has been the ability to combine all of those together.
Would you recommend NYLI to others?
Absolutely! I think if you are involved in your local bleeding disorders community and have any interest in the national one, then it is an amazing opportunity.
How do you want to see NYLI evolve?
I think one potential future opportunity for the program would be a focus on the provider/research side of the community.
To learn more about NYLI, visit the Educational Programs page on our website.
