Who We Are
Come see what motivates us and the team of student leaders working to put MATCH UP's vision on the map!
What We Stand For
Engage, Empower, Elevate
Our Mission
Our mission is to use the tools of science and advocacy, create strategic partnerships, and leverage youth activism to improve the quality of maternal and child health (mental and physical) outcomes locally and globally.
Our Vision
Our vision is to empower women around the world to take charge of their own lives and support their efforts to achieve a life of dignity and security for them and their families.
Global Leadership
Founder, Co-President
Rania Lateef
Rania Lateef is a Freshman at Stanford University. She was inspired to found MATCH UP due to her passion for public health, psychology, and gender studies. During her travels to developing countries like India and Pakistan, Rania realized that girls and women in many parts of the world did not share her liberties and their limited access to health care
significantly impacted maternal and child health outcomes. Along with a group of her close friends, she was determined to bring about change in such communities, both in the U.S and internationally.
Rania was honored to receive the American Psychological Association and U.S Public Health Service award for her work on how mindset can influence future career choices in young women.
Co-President
Zaib Zahir
Zaib Zahir is a Senior at The Flint Hill School. She is a young female who is very aware of global injustice, especially towards women and children. She is passionate about her south Asian ethnicity and strives to bring awareness about cultural identity to her peers. Zaib enjoys playing volleyball and off the court is an avid artist. At the studio Zaib likes to use pastels and ink to create visual representations of how she sees the world around us .
She is an active Girl Scout, and she founded the Students for Service club at her school where they work on projects bring together young members of the community. Zaib is always helping to create change today’s society with her fellow classmates. Zaib is excited to lead Matchup this year because of its focus on the importance of women’s and children’s health - she truly believes the health of the future depends on the mental and physical health of children and youth of today.
VP Equity, Global Inclusion
Salma Sherdil
Salma Sherdil is a junior attending Colgan High School. At Colgan, Salma participates in several school clubs and sports such as SCA and the field hockey team. Outside of school, Salma has been apart of the Apollo Gymnastics Xcel team since the age of 10, and is currently in the Platinum level. In addition to her school and athletic activities, Salma found her interest in public health while being surrounded by medical doctors and people in the health profession. Seeing these role models helping people throughout her life really gave her the passion and interest in the public and medical health profession.
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Because of this, Salma has always had an interest in helping children as she wanted them to have similar opportunities as her. Salma is honored to be a part of MATCH UP as she is eager to provide opportunities for all children and women worldwide.
VP Social Media, Communications
Charlie Roderick
Charlie Roderick is 18 years old and a Freshman at Brigham Young University. Charlie enjoys playing the piano, playing Field Hockey, singing, and reading. She is a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Through her membership in the Church, she has been inspired to help with service projects such as sorting clothes for refugees, helping with yard work, planning an all-girls summer camp for younger girls, and helping on a farm. She has worked with adults with special needs, helping them with farm tasks and teaching them piano. Along with teaching piano to special needs adults, she also teaches elementary school kids.
Charlie grew up in a large family. She is the youngest of 6 children and has many nephews and nieces. She loves being around children. She has loved, and continues to love being a part of Match Up because of the opportunities it gives her to serve her community.
VP Scientific Research, Public Health
Aerin Kim
Aerin Kim is a freshman at the University of Virginia with a strong passion for STEM and a deep commitment to advancing equitable healthcare. Inspired by her own experiences undergoing medical surgeries, Aerin has developed a particular interest in the accessibility of healthcare for women, children, and underserved populations affected by physical, social, and economic disparities.
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Aerin brings a strong research background to her role, having investigated homeopathic remedies and the potential of organic herbicides to improve public and environmental health. Her work in this area earned her and her research team a grand prize at the 2025 International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio.
At the heart of Aerin’s efforts is a desire to be a voice for women and children—working to bridge the knowledge gap in underrepresented demographic groups and advocate for sustainable change in maternal and child health. Through her leadership in public health research, she strives to drive innovation and progress that uplifts vulnerable communities and fosters long-term wellbeing.
VP Finance, Marketing
Quinn Ray
Quinn Ray is a freshman at West Virginia University and enjoys reading, playing basketball, and running. She is a very strong advocate for not only affordable but accessible maternal and child healthcare as she aims to become a NICU nurse and is working towards earning her Nursing degree.
Quinn is also apart of an organization called Morgan’s Message where she is an ambassador who strives to remove the stigma around athletes and their reluctant nature towards talking about their mental health. She not only focuses on physical healthcare, but also mental healthcare for those who are in need. Because both are vital for women and children around the world. Quinn is extremely excited and proud to be apart of MATCHUP as she truly believes in order to better the world, we must focus on the mental and physical healthcare of those who will soon be leading it.
VP Public Relations, Community Engagement
Liliana Bermudez
Liliana Bermudez is a sophomore at Towson University, where she is a Division I diver majoring in Speech Pathology and Audiology. She aspires to become a pediatric speech therapist, inspired by her passion for working with children and families.
That passion is reflected in her experiences both in and out of the classroom. Liliana has coached diving during the summers and taught swim lessons at school, helping children build confidence and skills in the water. She has also volunteered at her church and participated in service projects such as Feed My Starving Children, where she helped pack meals for families in third-world countries. Additionally, her opportunity to shadow a speech pathologist gave her valuable insight into patient care and taught her to connect with people from all walks of life, further reinforcing her career goals.
Liliana brings together her background in service, coaching, and communication to build connections, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for others to feel supported and included.
Advisory Board
Advisor
Maarya Akmal
Ms. Akmal received her degree in public health from Texas A&M University, while also conducting research on maternal and child health outcomes using obstetric records at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She
then joined the National Institutes of Health as an Intramural Research Trainee, where she is working on the Rhythms and Blues protocol at the National Institute of Mental Health. Ms. Akmal’s interest and
expertise in Global Health make she one of of MATCH UP’s key advisors especially with regards to our international outreach projects.
Advisor
Dr. David Parrish
Dr Parrish has been an educator in Prince William
County for 20 years. He is currently serving as Assistant Principal at Charles J Colgan High Schools and has graduate degrees in Special Education and Educational Leadership from George Mason University, and doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from The College of William and Mary. He currently supervises the Special Education, Health and Physical Education departments, and the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). Dr. Parrish also sponsors of The FIN Friends, an organization that fosters inclusivity among all Colgan students and offers a safe space to students with disabilities.
MATCH UP is proud to partner with FIN Friends and welcomes Dr. Parrish’s guidance as we
frame our objectives and pursue our goals of promoting physical and mental health among
vulnerable youth populations.
Advisor
Dr. Rumana Kazmi
Dr. Kazmi is a board certified pediatrician who has been practicing medicine for over 45 years in Washington DC. Dr. Kazmi is particularly invested in providing care and support to mothers and young children from underserved communities and her clinic population includes several such families. Dr. Kazmi received her medical degree from Dacca Medical College in Bangladesh and is especially well versed in culturally sensitive care and best practices in promoting health among underserved communities.
MATCH UP is honored to have Dr. Kazmi as one of our chief advisors as we launch our Mom-and-Me wellness kits initiative for newborns and families of limited means.
Advisor
Dr. Rapp
Dr. David Rapp is the founder and president of Global Surgical Expedition (GSE), a non-profit organization that helps improve surgical care infrastructure around the world. GSE sends medical teams and equipment to underserved countries, with a large focus on improving female pelvic health and treating pregnancy-related pelvic disorders. He is a Professor of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia and has been participating in surgical outreach since his first trip to Honduras in 2000.
MATCH UP is honored to have Dr. Rapp on our Board of Advisors. His impressive experience carrying out GSE’s mission to improve women’s health and wellbeing, through life changing surgeries and treatments, provides MATCH UP more mentorship opportunities to serve and promote our own vision for improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Advisor
Bibhaw Pokharel
Mr. Bibhaw Pokharel's life journey epitomizes his dedication to improving global health and reducing healthcare disparities. Hailing from Nepal, he ventured to the United States for higher education, where he honed his expertise in public health, with a particular focus on environmental health hazards and environmental justice in vulnerable populations, through graduate training at Harvard TH. Chan School of Public Health and Georgetown University.
His impactful career includes serving as the global coordinator of the Ochimana Foundation, where he spearheaded a transformative project. Under his leadership, the foundation established a social enterprise and healthcare clinic in rural Nigeria, significantly reducing maternal and infant mortality, preventing polio resurgence, and enhancing overall health outcomes. Currently, Mr. Pokharel works at a pharmaceutical manufacturing company dedicated to innovating the cardiovascular space, striving to make life-saving drugs more affordable and safer. His journey from Nepal to the U.S. and his subsequent contributions in public health and pharmaceuticals stand as a testament to his profound impact on global healthcare.
MATCH up is honored to have Mr. Pokharel on our board as he provides much needed mentorship on maternal and child health programs in south Asia and Africa
- Michelle Obama
"Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women."