2024 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Bezawit Getachew Mulatu is a University of Richmond (UR) pre-med and pre-law student dedicated to improving lives and fostering inclusivity.  

She serves as a first responder with UR Emergency Medical Services and the Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, as well as a volunteer clinician at CrossOver Health Ministry and with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. She strives to be conversational in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, and learns Braille to ensure inclusive communication in her future medical and legal roles. She also enjoys making balloon animals from surgical gloves and performing magic tricks to entertain pediatric patients.  

Bezawit conducts research on ways to challenge the gap between legal promises and the everyday realities faced by patients who are blind or have low vision under the National Federation of the Blind, aiming to drive improvements in accessibility. Her skills in braille and sculpting enable her to create tactile 3D versions of medical reports, X-rays, ultrasound images, and other diagnostic scans while ensuring HIPAA compliance to protect patient privacy. She also designs interactive prototypes with assistive technologies for libraries to enhance navigation and learning for blind students. By integrating law, science, art, and advocacy, she hopes to promote equity in access to essential services. 

At UR, Bezawit’s leadership has earned her a full scholarship as a Richmond Scholar and an Oliver Hill Scholar, the Engage for Change Service Award, and the Black Excellence Gala Trailblazer Award. She was also named the 2024 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact and recognized as a Global School Advocate by the United Nations SDSN.