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Winner Osakwe

295

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Education

Riverdale High School

High School
2025 - 2025

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Medicine
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

      Bettie Lott and Vera Times Public Health Scholarship
      Winner
      Winner Osakwe Majoring in Health Science (Light Of Joy, Amplify Youth) Every morning, I watch my mother carefully measure her blood sugar before eating a single bite of breakfast. Her hands tremble not from age, but from the effects battling diabetes for years. This has become a daily routine in our household, a reminder that diabetes isn’t just a statistic it’s a life changing condition that deeply affects families like mine. In my community, diabetes is more than a diagnosis; it is a growing public health crisis that touches every neighborhood, every family, and every future. Diabetes, especially type 2, is alarmingly common in our community because of a mix of unhealthy access to food, poor healthcare resources, and the lack of healthy living education. Convenience stores outnumber grocery stores, and most families use fast food as their primary source of meals. As a result, obesity levels are high, and physical activity is minimal, particularly among children and teenagers. If not taken care of, this trend will lead to even more cases of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses that are preventable with the right support and knowledge. To tackle this issue head-on, I would propose the creation of a “Healthy Streets” initiative an outreach program that combines mobile health clinics, free diabetes screenings, and nutrition education directly in the neighborhoods that need them most. These clinics would offer practical tools like glucose monitors, cooking demonstrations, and even free healthy food samples. We’d also partner with local schools to implement interactive health education programs, teaching kids how to make better food choices and develop active habits early on. The goal is to bring resources to the people, rather than waiting for them to come to us. This mission is personal. My mother has struggled with managing her diabetes for years, partially because she did not have access to the resources and education that could have helped her prevent it in the first place. Watching her experience the daily challenges of finger pricks, medication side effects, insulin shots, and dietary restrictions has shown me how overwhelming diabetes can be, especially for older adults on fixed or low incomes. If we could provide families with the things they need to prevent diabetes early, we could save lives and protect futures which is something I deeply wish had been available for my mother when she was younger. Innovation is the key to lasting change. Aside from the mobile clinics, I would suggest rolling out a mobile app. This app would offer individualized meal planning, culturally relevant recipes, reminders for meds, and social network for individuals with diabetes to share tips and encouragement. Technology enables us to meet people where they are, on their phones and serve them at all times. More than clinics and education will be required to end the diabetes crisis; it will take empathy, innovation, and commitment to empowering people with genuine, lasting solutions.