Interview with Mia Keeys
Children Just Want to Play
This morning we interviewed Mia Keeys. I really enjoyed hearing about how much she appreciates young minds. Something I always remember from my childhood is that I never felt like I was being judged or criticized. I simply did not care what people thought about me. As Mia said, children just want to play. She also stated that she thinks people should have that same attitude, and I think what she said is true.
Mia is a very intelligent and well-versed individual, and she has traveled a lot and lived in multiple countries. She told us about her experiences living in Indonesia and South Africa and how they still resonate with her today. She also talked about the power of music and the importance of connecting with songs and artists. She said that music is one of the best things she uses to calm herself. She is very easy to talk to, and we all enjoyed our time with her. – Chloe Smith
Raising Awareness of Women’s Health Issues
Today, we met with the beautiful Mia Keeys. She has lived many lives: as author, speaker, writer, and congressional advocate for women’s health and health equity. As a woman, I am very interested in learning about advancements in women’s health. I was impressed with her achievements as I did research for our interview, and I continued to be impressed as she spoke to us.
Both younger and older women find it disheartening that their needs are often overlooked. I’ve spoken to my female classmates about our dissatisfaction with women’s healthcare, and it felt good to know that our frustrations are shared by some in Congress. Mia brought up her own frustrations with the lack of laws that protect women, and she stated that when she became a women’s health advisor, she found that not one law was in place for maternal needs. This is ironic, she said, since we all “come from women.” She has spoken and written on the topic of insurance for women, particularly the importance of extending insurance coverage for women who have given birth from a few months to a year. Mia’s efforts have helped raise awareness of the importance of supporting mothers during this critical time.
Mia grew up in Philadelphia, and has since traveled and lived around the world, including in Indonesia for three years and South Africa for seven months. She has a unique perspective on global healthcare disparities as a result of these experiences. Mia was honest about the reality of working on healthcare policy: although much work is being done, there is much more to do.
I found Mia’s comments reassuring, and I very much enjoyed getting to know her. Her passion and dedication are truly inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have met with her. – Emilia Lord
“I Choose to Love People.”
Today we had the great pleasure of interviewing Mia Keeys, an incredible woman doing policy work in the medical field. As a woman who has lived in both South Africa and Indonesia, she has some valuable insights into how humans interact with one another and how interaction varies from one country to another. We asked Mia what she thinks her best qualities are and how she uses them to her advantage, and her response was surprising and inspiring: “I choose to love people.” I told her at the end of the interview that I had never really thought about loving people as a choice. I’ve always seen myself as an introvert and therefore not as a “people person.”
After hearing Mia’s answer, I began thinking about how I choose to interact with people. I realize that I spend a lot of time worrying that people won’t do the right thing or that they won’t live up to my expectations, and this kind of thinking is detrimental to how I interact with others. Mia told me that she always does her best to believe in the goodness of others and give people second chances. She has inspired me to try to do the same. I know it isn’t always easy to do, especially because I feel like I’m fighting against my nature, but I know it is worth the effort. As humans, we need interaction and connection, and choosing to love people is the first step toward achieving both. As we approach the end of our week here in DC, I’m hoping to use this new perspective to engage better with our interviewees, and I’m hoping to begin integrating it into my life generally. – Mordecai Coleman
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