Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Emblem (Class of 2013)

On Wednesday, UNIS Hanoi welcomed back Kelly Emblem (Class of 2013), an Occupational Therapist, global health leader, and recent MBA graduate whose work spans Canada, Ethiopia, and underserved communities.

Kelly returned to speak with three engineering classes about human-centred prosthetics, drawing on her clinical and international experience supporting individuals across hospitals, community settings, and low-resource environments. She shared insights from her work helping to establish Ethiopia’s first Occupational Therapy degree programme and strengthening access to rehabilitation services through partnerships with the government and global institutions.

Her sessions were interactive and practical, helping students understand how engineering decisions directly affect the comfort, dignity, and everyday lives of prosthetic users. She also reflected on how her time at UNIS Hanoi shaped her commitment to empathy, service, and working across cultures.

In addition to the classroom sessions, Kelly joined a small group of Grade 9–11 students for an informal lunch discussion. Students explored pathways into health and medical fields, university life in Canada, and the many career possibilities that combine clinical practice, leadership, and global impact. Several students shared that hearing from a UNIS alum made the experience feel more personal and helped them better imagine their own future journeys.

Kelly’s visit highlights the strength of the UNIS Hanoi community and the powerful role alumni play in connecting learning to real-world purpose. Her journey, shaped by empathy, service, and global perspective, offered students a clear message: the values developed at UNIS Hanoi can lead to meaningful leadership and positive change around the world.