Ashanti Littlejohn is a first generation undergraduate and graduate student currently pursing her medical degree at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, PA. She identifies as a Black, cis-gendered woman from a low socio-economic status background whom wouldn’t have been as successful in her career thus far without mentorship and support. She was born in Queens, NY, but the key turning point in her life was when her mother decided to move to Bethlehem, PA in 2006. A move her mother did excitedly in hopes of growing into her own and providing better opportunities for her set of twins. She unexpectedly, passed away a year later and her grandmother stepped up to be the children’s guardian. Ashanti completed her secondary education at Freedom High School with many accomplishments such as serving over 700+ hours at St. Luke’s University Hospital, winning several medals for poetry from the NAACP’s Act-So Competition, winning several medals as a participant in the SkillsUSA Health Knowledge Bowl Competition, and more. With the help of her guidance counselor and Sonia Vazquez, whom at the time served as the principal of Donegan Elementary School, she attended Temple University.
At Temple University, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology and refined her vision as a future physician. She went on to obtain her Master of Biomedical Sciences with honors at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine where she learned the value of patient centered medicine. This ultimately led to her matriculating into their Doctor of Medicine program.
She always highlights the many mentors at Freedom High School, the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, her neighbors, the individuals’ in charge of volunteer services at St Luke's University Hospital in Bethlehem and many more who played a part in her journey thus far.
