Madison Esposito graduated from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2021 with a Master’s in Public Health. Madison Esposito is a citizen of the Tyme Maidu Tribal Nation and is currently working towards an MD at the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Medicine and a Ph.D. in Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota. Madison grew up seeing the impact of Indigenous erasure on the health and wellness of her community. This erasure takes many forms, including 54% of state curricula that omit Native histories, culture, knowledge, and existence from the K-12 curriculum. These experiences of erasure, especially at such a young age, threaten the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health of Native peoples and have been shown to lead to adverse health outcomes in adults. Madison’s passion lies in understanding how she can support, empower, and improve health and wellness in Native communities. To that end, Madison co-founded Redbud Resource Group, a Native-focused non-profit that envisions a more equitable future for everyone in which Native communities are visible, empowered, and respected. As the Director of Research and Development at Redbud, Madison leads the evaluation and analysis of Redbud’s programming and develops foundational research articles that direct, refine, and innovate this programming further.
As a Cheng Fellow, Madison developed a comprehensive plan to build the foundation of her non-profit and ensured its continued operation once she transitions her involvement as she matriculates into medical school. Madison was a Rose-Service Learning Fellow and the president of the Native American Student Organization within the school of public health. In her free time, Madison competes in competitive Magic, the Gathering tournaments, and goes on daily runs with her husband and 3-year-old Alaskan Malamute, Sylphrena.