Cohort 9 (2022-2023)
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Tilahun Bizuneh
Faculty of Land & Food Systems
Tilahun is an energetic and optimistic individual who graduated from Hawassa University (HU) in Ethiopia with a First-Class Honours in Economics. His professor called him “a bright and an attentive young man with his well-known work ethic, teamwork mentality, and good leadership”. During his undergrad study, he started to explore the food insecurity and harsh resource distribution issues of Ethiopia. As a result, he initiated an economics club where the idea of having a long-term plan to implement a national policy to solve food insecurity and distribution issues in Ethiopia was born.
After graduation, he moved to a small village and helped farmers by providing training on how to effectively utilize their resources to improve yields. He also worked in the Ethio-French Ready to Use Foods (Plumpy Nut & Plumpy Sup) manufacturing company, where he produced ready-to-use foods primarily targeted children and adults with nutritional deficiencies.
Tilahun’s overall educational goal is to undertake research on food insecurity and distribution issues in his country. Tilahun is humbled and thrilled to work with the prestigious faculty and diverse student community at UBC. He believes that the Masters of Food and Resource Economics will provide him with the knowledge, skills, and expertise needed to work with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture as a Policy Analyst. -
Norman Nduna
Faculty of Forestry
Norman is a selfless, enthusiastic, and courageous leader who always strives to inspire others. He grew up in the rural part of Zambia’s small village called Kafubu Block. He faced many challenges ranging from insufficient financial support, segregation, and lack of role models in the community. Despite these challenges, Norman graduated from Copperbelt University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management. He received the First-Class Honour and Dean’s Award for being the best student at his school. Norman became a role model to many young people in his community, which took him to mentor and positively influence others in his community.
During his undergraduate study, he volunteered in tutoring, community outreach, and research activities. In 2017, Norman founded a Young Scientists group to provide free mentorship and teach research lessons to other students. As a result, the school department recorded its highest academic performance.
Norman’s career goal is to become a global consultant on environmental and conservation issues. Norman believes that by pursuing a Master’s degree in Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) at the University of British Columbia he will gain skills needed for promoting global environmental sustainability. He is excited to join the Vancouver community and continue to inspire others. -
Esther Chinonyerem Mbagwu
Faculty of Land & Food Systems
Esther is an optimistic and ardent research enthusiast with a great drive for success. She emerged as the first female First-Class graduate as well as the best graduating student of Geology, School of Sciences at the Federal University of Technology in Owerri, Nigeria. She was actively involved in volunteering and attending conferences organized by the Society of Exploration Geophysics (SEG), Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), and National Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) while serving in various capacities. She participated in the NAPE Young professional’s forum where she worked on the organizing committee for the first-ever NAPE FUTO Summit which hosted approximately 1000 students and industry resource partners with the aim of strengthening the University-Industry relationship.
Esther has a strong passion for research in water resource management, sustainability and other global environmental issues, hence she decided to embark on pursuing the Masters of Land and Water Systems at UBC. She hopes to develop the research skills and capacity needed to offer workable solutions in order for Nigeria to achieve the UN SDG goal 6 (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). She looks forward to utilizing the resources that abound at UBC to grow her network and meet and exchange ideas with great minds amidst diverse cultures.
Cohort 8 (2021-2022)
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Flora Wendmalgdo Ouedraogo
Faculty of Science
Flora is an Alumni of the African Leadership Academy, a world-class entrepreneurship and leadership school in South Africa. She graduated as a top science student from the United States International University-Africa in Kenya, with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Technology. She co-founded an award-winning Iwili Project, dedicated to developing youth entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso. Through her role as co-founder and Program Director, Flora was instrumental in crafting the project idea, creating the curriculum, developing program implementation steps, and engaging the youth trained through the project. She was part of GeekGirl, an initiative that empowers girls to realize their full potential and encourages them to pursue whatever career they aspire to embrace, with a focus in IT, through an annual two-week IT camp in Burkina Faso.
Flora’s ultimate dream is to harness a wealth of connections, knowledge, and skills to create the first-ever Data Analytics Center to bring the type of expertise that the African continent urgently needs to make informed decisions backed by science.She is confident that the unique, practical, and rich Master of Data Science program at UBC will help her grow personally, academically, and professionally to become one of the people who will lead economic change in Africa using technology.
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Judith Ojone Nuhu
Faculty of Forestry
Judith holds diligence, optimism and resilience as core values. She is a young lady with a lot of dreams built upon her craving for excellence as well as a desire to become a positive change maker in her small community in Kogi State, Nigeria. She earned a First-class degree in Botany from Kogi State University where she established a foundation for a career in forest resources conservation. Towards the end of her undergraduate education, she co-founded a volunteer group: “Why Are You Not in School-WAYNIS”. The group focused on enlightening rural communities on the importance of formal education, organizing seminars to attract the attention of the government and public to the needs of underprivileged children, sourcing funds for vocational trainings, and dispatching charity materials.
Apart from being dedicated to voluntary services, Judith is committed towards a career in forestry with a zeal to become an expert in evaluating complex forest and climate problems, and contribute to researches in forest resources security and ecosystem sustenance.Judith is exhilarated about studying at University of British Columbia and she is keenly looking forward to integrating with the diverse students’ community. She intends to ardently observe the teaching and research methods at UBC for future implementation in Nigeria’s educational sector. Judith believes that with hard work and sacrifice, success is achievable; and she is determined to do the work and make some sacrifices with her mind fixed on one goal – “a better tomorrow”.
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Esther Oyindamola Alade
Faculty of Arts
Esther is a selfless, sophisticated, and committed individual with a strong passion for academic excellence. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education at The University of Nigeria Nsukka where she graduated as the overall best student with First-Class Honours. With her experience growing up and studying in a rural area with limited to no learning resources and a shortage of trained teachers especially in the aspect of the Mathematics, she was engaged in volunteering to support other students with similar issues. She was elected as the president of Mathematics Student Association (MSA) in her community, and during her tenure, she organized coaching classes for students in both Secondary and Tertiary institutions where Mathematics was been taught by experienced mathematicians at no cost. Esther was actively involved in in the Landmark Cycle Initiative where funds were raised from prominent people in the community to sponsor intelligent but indigent kids who earnestly eager to be educated.
Her ultimate professional goal is to become an internationally recognized educator. She desires to work with an educational consulting organization that could assist schools to solve educational problems. She is excited to study at UBC with a diverse community, outstanding state of art facilities, and holistic teaching methods. Esther believes that the Master’s in Educational Administration and Leadership program will expose her to a transformative educational experience that not only gives her the tools to lead confidently, but the interpersonal aptitude to lead genuinely in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.
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Ezekiel Boamah
Sauder School of Business
Ezekiel Boamah is a cool-headed person, an environmentalist, SDG Advocate, and a strategic planner. He attended Nkawkaw Senior High School, Foso College of Education (FOSCO), and the University of Cape Coast (UCC), in Ghana. Ezekiel worked with the Ghana Education Service as a class teacher. He holds a Diploma in Basic Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Education in Psychology and Foundations of Education.
As an environmentalist, Ezekiel co-founded the ‘’Kwahu Sanitation Volunteers Club’’ (KSVC) in 2016. As a program coordinator, he initiated practical measures to help improve sanitation within the Kwahu enclave. This initiative has reduced the occurrence of sanitation-related diseases such as malaria, cholera, and the likes by over 68 percent and still counting. The ‘’After School Evening Class’’ (ASEC) is also the brainchild of Ezekiel. This initiative commenced in 2014 to purposely help rural school children acquire reading skills and hence develop an intrinsic desire and passion for schooling. Having received all his basic education in a typical rural setting, Ezekiel has identified numerous challenges pupils in rural areas go through in Ghana. This resulted in the creation of this initiative which has benefited over 255 children so far.At UBC, Ezekiel Boamah is pursuing a Master of Education in Science Education to further develop his professional and pedagogical prowess under the tutelage of distinguished faculty members in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the UBC Faculty of Education. Boamah hopes to capitalize on the multicultural environment UBC provides and establish networks globally to contribute to the development of STEM, girls and child education in rural areas in Ghana after completion.
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Phoebe Tuyishime
Faculty of Medicine
Phoebe is praised for being a hardworking, compassionate, and passionate family-oriented person. She was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda. When she was a toddler, she almost lost her life to anemia. As she grew up, she was determined to become a pediatrician. She was awarded a MasterCard Foundation scholarship and graduated from Michigan State University with Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Nutrition with a minor in Global Public Health and Epidemiology.
During her undergraduate study, she learned that most of the health challenges of poor communities can be easily solved through effective public health efforts. She was involved in projects about leadership, education, nutrition, public health, and infectious diseases. One of her proudest projects is to reduce malnutrition and stunting in children and women using fortified foods conducted with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Rwanda.Phoebe is highly passionate about public health education and the effective dissemination of evidence-based health information. Her career goal is to become a public health professor and to start a Nutrition and Public Health Research Institute. She believes UBC’s MPH program will help her to gain skills to advance public health knowledge in her home country Rwanda. She is looking forward to her studies at UBC and is excited to take a part in related projects.
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Nellie Wambui Kamau
Faculty of Arts
Nellie graduated from McGill University and started her career as Equity Bank’s liaison on Refugee Banking and Advocacy in East Africa. She worked with Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDP) in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan to study their livelihoods and needs. She developed and provided relevant policies, business proposals, and payment solutions to UNHCR, WFP, Windle International Kenya, and other humanitarian agencies.
Nellie believes the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program at UBC will help her to develop the first comprehensive policy resolution kit for East Africa to better manage migration and support the socio-economic integration of refugees. Through her program at UBC, she intends to learn about policy research methods, and the theoretical models underpinning social protection programs. She is excited to start her journey and in her spare time, she enjoys the arts and looks forward to exploring Vancouver’s wide array of artistic activities.
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Rhoda Oluwafunke Ayoola
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Rhoda is a determined and goal-oriented individual who is passionate about the well-being of others. She graduated from the University of Ilorin where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural-Economics with First-Class Honors. While growing up she experienced food insecurity which led her to her goal to develop an economical strategy and sustainable agriculture industry in her home country. During her undergraduate internship, she gained experience in agricultural production processes at a farm and was teaching junior students about the agriculture process in Igboora Grammar School, Nigeria. She worked as an Administrative Assistant for the ROTNED NGO and participated in activities such as improving the lives of less-privileged children in Nigeria, aligning with SDGs 1,2,3, and 4.
At UBC, Rhoda will pursue the Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) degree to gain knowledge and experience with the hope to work at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development NGOs. This will aid her involvement in creating and implementing policies in rural areas regarding food security. Rhoda is excited to learn at UBC and network with different scholars from around the world. This Master’s will also certify her long-term educational goal for suitability for a Ph.D. program.