Natasha Dunlap: Three Questions, Three Answers

1. Where do you want to travel?

I am eager to get to Machu Picchu within the next few years. Throughout my childhood, I heard stories of my father’s many mountain climbing trips, and none captivated my imagination to the same extent as his adventures in Peru. While I’m nowhere near the mountaineer he was at my age, I am confident I could manage the Inca Trail and retrace some of his steps.

2. What book(s) have you read recently?

One of my goals the past few years has been to read diverse perspectives and international authors. Recent favorites include:

• All works by Khaled Hosseini
• "The High Mountains of Portugal” by Yann Martel
• “The Pearl that Broke Its Shell” & “A House Without Windows” by Nadia Hashimi
• “Song of a Captive Bird: A Novel” by Jasmin Darznik
• “Orhan’s Inheritance” by Aline Ohanesian
• “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri
• “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond
• “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon
• “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr

3. Growing up I thought I might become…?

Growing up I was convinced that I would become a neurosurgeon for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and travel the world saving lives. By the end of fifth grade, I had the whole course of my studies and desired residency placements mapped out, including my time training abroad. While that didn’t pan out, I complemented my healthcare pursuits with studies in government (thanks to my father, years watching The West Wing, and serving as a Senate Page) and have since found a way to draw upon both working on public health projects here at BERK, volunteering as a crisis counselor, and traveling extensively in my spare time.