You may recognize this Houston, TX native from her warm demeanor or impeccable pickleball skills! Thara Ayyar studied Microbiology and Spanish at the University of Texas, Austin, and hopes to practice medicine in the future. While she does have one fraternal twin sister and three other siblings, Thara’s welcoming personality and contagious laugh are one of a kind. You may find Thara doing art, playing tennis, doing Indian classical dance, exploring nature, or drinking Stable smoothies (no spinach though!!) in her free time. Thara is a go-with-the-flow, compassionate individual and she is excited to meet the Greensboro community and get involved in local events. If you see Thara around town, make sure to give her a warm wave!
Karley Belanger comes to us from the small town of Hamilton, New York where she has a tight-knit family with whom she loves to spend time with. Karley attended the University of Maryland, where she studied and majored in public health. During her academic journey at the University of Maryland, Karley’s adventurous spirit led her to explore the outdoors. Whether it involved being a whitewater rafting guide in Idaho, assuming the role of a trip leader for the Maryland Adventure Program, organizing immersive daylong and overnight excursions in the great outdoors, or simply basking in the sun on the campus lawn chairs between classes, Karley wholeheartedly embraced these experiences. In her free time, Karley loves spending time on the field and in the gym, where she plays ultimate frisbee, basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. When she is not playing sports, she enjoys being lost in a good book.
In Greensboro this year, Karley is looking forward to getting to know the community and the wonderful people who live here!
Introducing Eli Blinchevsky, a psychology graduate from University of Texas at Austin who was raised in Austin, Texas! Eli is excited to experience the small town life of Greensboro this year and enjoy the beautiful greenery and nature of the area. In his free time, he loves to read historical fiction novels or watch thriller movies. His favorites include Prisoners and Nightcrawler. Need to learn a new language? Ask Eli! He speaks Russian and is learning Spanish as well. After this year, Eli hopes to continue onto medical school and work in rural medicine. Catch Eli this year at the pickleball court working to improve his skills or running on the streets of Greensboro as he trains for a marathon!
Greensboro! Her family is originally from Mexico, and she studied Human Biology with a concentration in Cross-Cultural Health and Healing at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. She is thrilled to be a part of Project Horseshoe Farm and believes the program will help her prepare for a future career in the health/medical field. She loves hiking, nature walks, camping, and hopes to explore all the gorgeous lakes, rivers, and state parks Alabama has to offer. She loves coffee and has already taken the advantage of The Stable being footsteps away from the Horseshoe Farm Hotel. She hopes to explore all of the wonderful local restaurants, including Mustang Oil, and shops in Greensboro and the surrounding area. She is so excited to get to know the Greensboro community!
Walker Ferry, a native from Tuscaloosa, Alabama has deep roots in the state. His mother is originally from Leeds, Alabama while his father is originally from Trussville, Alabama. He pursued his academic journey at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Religion and Politics. In the future Walker aspires to attend medical school. During his time at Washington University, he dedicated himself all four years to the swim team. Nowadays, he finds enjoyment in staying active and working out. In addition to his athletic pursuits, Walker has a unique passion for knitting and crocheting. He’s also excited to be close to Ruan Thai again. Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, he eagerly looks forward to becoming a part of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church community in Greensboro.
Andrew Gao is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and after graduating high school, his family moved to the Bay area in California. Andrew graduated from Pomona College where he loved the smaller college community and getting to know all of his classmates and professors. Outside of academics, Andrew enjoys playing a wide range of sports including soccer, basketball, baseball, and table tennis, and he is currently training for an upcoming marathon this year so you might see him running around the neighborhood. Andrew wanted to become a Horseshoe Farm Community Health Fellow here in Greensboro because he wanted to build relationships and provide hands-on support to people in a place he has never been before. Andrew is most excited to get to know various members of the community, to share his love of sports with others, and to try southern cooking!
Coming to Greensboro from Southern California, Jenna Hartstein graduated from UCLA studying Human Biology and Spanish and has hopes to become a physician in the future. In her free time, she loves baking, arts and crafts, and reading a good book. She is an avid fan of gymnastics and coming up with acronyms for every phrase possible. If you see someone walking around in a cute long dress, that’s Jenna! This year she is excited to learn more about the history of the South, and get a taste of local traditions, especially the Greensboro pies! Her goals for this year include connecting with and learning from community members of Greensboro and improving her hand eye coordination playing pickleball and ultimate frisbee.
Gabriella Hopper hails from the city of Alexandria in Northern Virginia which is 20 minutes from Washington DC. The Virginia native decided to stay home and attend the University of Virginia (UVA) where she created her own interdisciplinary major (Human Health with an emphasis on patient centered care). Her major prioritized the social side of medicine by focusing on the patient’s needs. As a new fellow at Project Horseshoe Farm, Gabriella is excited to meet different people in the community, to see new spaces, and to explore the small-town charm as a gal from the big city. In her free time, Gabriella likes playing basketball and soccer, doing arts and crafts, participating in choir, teaching cooking classes, and hanging out with her massive family (three big sisters whom she is close with!). Look out for her at The Stable playing trivia or singing her heart out in karaoke!
Now, if this face looks familiar, that’s because we are reintroducing Mackenzie Christensen, our 2nd year fellow. Mackenzie just completed her first year with Project Horseshoe Farm and is eager to be starting her second year as a Hospital Fellow with Hale County Hospital. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Mackenzie has enjoyed her time in the South – learning the joy of a good potluck, the art of waving as people pass by, and the deliciousness of sweet potato pie. She is an avid reader, jump roper, and lover of all things sports! Mackenzie feels grateful to get to spend another year in Greensboro and plans to fill her time with more ultimate frisbee games, warm biscuits with jelly, movie nights with friends, and watching beautiful Alabama sunsets. She is still deciding what she will do after this year, but is confident that the staff at Hale County Hospital will give her greater insight into what patient centered healthcare should look like.
