Goal! Tropical Medicine Summer Institute project spotlights global health education via FIFA World Cup – Houston City College student helps drive team win

The top capstone presentation at Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine (NSTM) Summer Institute scored big by connecting global health education to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston – and a Houston City College (HCC) student helped drive the team win!

On June 12, the final day of the NSTM Summer Institute, the Goalkeepers of Global Health United group presented “Facts & Misconceptions About Ebola & the New Strain.” The group first explained the cause of Ebola, a severe and often-fatal communicable disease and how it can be spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Then it pivoted to prevention, education and safety.

The Goalkeepers covered ways to prevent the infection and spread of disease, particularly the importance of proper handwashing. To make the information even more available to the public, the team created infographics and an Instagram page to post the information:  @goal_keepers_of_global_health.

“With the FIFA World Cup games happening right here in Houston and people visiting from all over the world, we saw it as an opportunity not just develop a theme but to promote preventive measures and help protect people from many diseases, not just Ebola,” said Angela Moore, first-year Health Information Technology student at HCC – Coleman College for Health Sciences (HCC Coleman) and Goalkeepers team member.

Moore collaborated on the winning presentation with Leah De La Rosa, student at Texas A&M University and Mahi Hirpara, student at Baylor University.

NSTM is the only school of tropical medicine in the United States and resides at Baylor College of Medicine. It addresses the most pressing tropical diseases that affect the world’s most poverty-stricken populations.

The intensive, two-week NTSM Summer Institute draws students from different higher education institutions and is designed to introduce healthcare and medical students to the field of tropical medicine, covering areas such as global health, epidemiology, and public health through lectures and labs.

For the capstone, students partner with other participants and develop a digital poster board presentation that addresses an existing global disease and provide practical healthcare solutions.

The 2026 NTSM Summer Institute culminated at HCC Coleman, located in the Texas Medical Center. Last year, five Coleman students participated in the prestigious summer institute, a first for students from a two-year college. Five College students participated again this year.

“At HCC Coleman College, we are deeply committed to creating immersive, real-world educational experiences for our students,” said Lutricia Harrison, DNP, APRN-C, president of HCC Coleman College. “Returning to the Tropical Medicine Summer Institute for a second consecutive year, and welcoming the program to our campus, is a testament to the caliber of our students and the power of the partnerships we have built. These experiences open doors and shape careers.”

Moore, who is also hospital surgery scheduler and mother of 15-year-old twin girls, is grateful for the opportunity HCC gave her to attend the institute and expand her knowledge and understanding of global health.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned is that these aren’t just tropical diseases – they’re global health issues that require a worldwide effort to address,” she said.

To learn more about the healthcare programs and degrees at HCC Coleman, visit hccs.edu/coleman.