Success Eugene, Nigeria

Success is a recent graduate of biochemistry from University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Since becoming a WMI Scholar in 2019, she has intensified her involvement with local community building projects and volunteers as a workshop instructor in the Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women Foundation. She has volunteered as a medical laboratory scientist in rural medical camps and also participated in the internship program at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. As a WMI Global Advisory board member, Success is working to develop resources to guide WMI Student Scholars in creating and leading effective community service projects. She is particularly interested in increasing the number of female applicants to our scholarship program and contributed many hours to this project as board chair. Success is currently working at a cancer care institute in Nigeria and hopes to earn a master’s degree in Oncology. She aims to work on optimizing cancer care, particularly for women and children, in Nigeria.

Betty Nakwala, Uganda 

Betty is a medical student at Kabale University in Uganda on track to graduate in 2023. She became a WMI Scholar in 2020 and has volunteered a whopping 934 hours since last summer. Betty worked to educate the residents of five villages about COVID prevention mechanisms and counter misinformation about the pandemic, which was common in the community. She also provided free medical assistance to pregnant women in the Obstetrics department at Rugarama Hospital so less privileged women could benefit from the facilities of a private hospital. She will continue to volunteer at Rugarama Hospital and maintain community service as a tenant of her work both at university and as a medical professional. Betty hopes to specialize in neurosurgery and provide accessible care to those who would not normally be able to afford it.

Melissa Takundwa, Zimbabwe

Melissa is studying engineering at the National University of Science and Technology in Harare, Zimbabwe. Over the last year, she has worked in her community to encourage and facilitate handwashing in order to reduce the transmission of COVID. Melissa also worked with the Ropafadzoi Foundation to source and donate food hampers for the needy during the holiday season. In addition, Melissa worked with Goal Zimbabwe, a humanitarian organization, to help aspiring small business owners in Mbare with funding in order to stimulate the local economy. Melissa is currently interning in the chemical engineering field and hopes to focus on research related to pharmaceutical production and gain a master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry.