Student Promotes Health-Care Access Through Cultural Ambassadorship

Meet Jessica Edem '28, reigning Miss Akwa Ibom USA

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

Disembarking from a plane last September in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, Jessica Edem ’28 was greeted with flowers, cheers and traditional dance performances. Three months later, this Dickinson first-year student took a second trip abroad, this time to volunteer as well as make official appearances. This whirlwind schedule is all part of Edem’s reign as Miss Akwa Ibom USA 2024-25, a platform she uses to help drive meaningful change.

Edem is a Dickinson biology major with a minor in Africana studies, and she plans a career in global health. She was crowned Miss Akwa Ibom USA 2024-25 by the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria (AKISAN) USA, Inc., a nonprofit promoting cultural heritage, community unity and charitable initiatives within the southeastern Nigerian state.

As “queen” for a year, Edem is completing a project focused on improving access to health care for children and their mothers in Nigeria—a goal that aligns perfectly with her career plans.

Passion and purpose

Edem grew up in Bowie, Maryland, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, and her mother shared stories about the health-care challenges Nigerians face. A high-school internship with Georgetown University’s Leadership Initiatives Advanced Medical and Public Health Program deepened her understanding of the Nigerian health-care system and the need for trained health practitioners on the ground.

Edem was chosen for the Miss Akwa Ibom honors on the basis of her “exceptional grace, intelligence and commitment to the Akwa Ibom community,” according to official statement on the AKISAN website, which goes on to state that she is poised to help “bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, inspiring the youth and upholding the values that make our community thrive.” She shares this year’s ambassadorship honors with Mr. Akwa Ibom USA, Aniekan Udofia.

Laying the groundwork

For her Miss Akwa Ibom USA project, Edem is raising awareness of the need for an additional incubator for a children's hospital in Akwa Ibom and for maternity beds and bed linens for a health center in the village. To support health education efforts at the center, she proposes to improve the appearance of the on-site education room and is fundraising for supplies. Edem is additionally working on a joint project with Mr. Akwa Ibom USA, raising funds for medical equipment and office supplies for another hospital.

By supporting healthier mothers and children, these efforts will “lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous tomorrow,” Edem writes in her proposal. The project also dovetails with her goal of attending medical school after graduation and launching a career in neonatology and global health.

The view ahead

Edem says that her recent trips to Akwa Ibom were crucial in helping her better understand the challenges she’s working to address.

“Seeing the places I am serving with my own eyes and speaking to the people in-person, rather than over the phone from the U.S., has been so transformative for me,” she says. “It personalizes the work I’m doing and [helps me] make sure I’m meeting their needs above anything else.”

That’s a weighty lift for a first-year college student with a full and demanding courseload—and one dedicated to involvement on campus. But Edem is driven, and she knows that there’s a whole world of good work yet to do.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to impact my community in Nigeria and be involved in a health-related project early in my undergrad years,” Edem says, “and I’m excited to form close connections with like-minded people at Dickinson so we can all make a positive impact together in the future.”

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Published February 17, 2025

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