Meet Deborah Onakomaiya, Intern
Deborah Onakomaiya received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Babcock University in Nigeria in 2012. After graduating, she taught English to 6th and 7th graders in a disadvantaged community in South-West Nigeria. In 2014, she moved to Arizona, continuing her work in education as a high school biology teacher, she began volunteering with Organizing for Action as an advocate for health insurance enrollment through the newly implemented Affordable Care Act health exchanges. Her main focus was to educate and enroll low-income and bi-lingual families in affordable health insurance programs. Deborah has continued this work because she believes that access to quality and affordable healthcare is a human right. She hopes to make an impact on maternal and infant health in her home country of Nigeria.
Where is home? Place of Birth: Phoenix, Arizona; Current home: Brooklyn
Education: Undergraduate: Babcock University, Nigeria; Graduate – New York University, New York
CMMB volunteer post: Programs intern in New York. Identifying and proposing educational tools to be used for community health workers to educate mothers to prevent and treat diarrhea, pneumonia, and other issues affecting children under five.
Interesting fact about you: I like ketchup on my ramen and spaghetti.
What are you most proud of? My spirit for adventure
Imagine you are stuck in an elevator. Who would you most like to be stuck with? Why? My father because he would know what to do.
If you were asked to sum yourself up in two words, which two would you choose? Ambitious and curious.
You are featured in the NY Times or your national newspaper. What’s the headline? “Woman Permanently Ends Preventable Maternal Mortality in West Africa”
What would be your theme song (the song that would play whenever you enter a room) “Titanium” – David Guetta ft. Sia
Imagine if you were an animal or instrument – which would you be and why? Instrument – Piano. Why – I like to think I am a chill person FYI (I am not a chill person)
What is your hope for your experience volunteering with CMMB? Being able to come up with real life solutions that prevent maternal mortality in West Africa
Favorite quote: Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ – MLK
What book should everyone read? Why? A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin because it is the new Star Wars.
Who would you like to play you in the movie of your life? Rachel McAdams (I know we don’t actually look exactly alike, but I love her!)
What is your hope for the future? That human beings realize that all we have in this word is each other.
What would you love people to know about you? I am dedicated to whatever I believe in.
Favorite speech or Tedtalk? I Have a Dream – Martin Luther King
If you could solve one world problem, what would it be? Hunger – I cannot imagine going to bed hungry ever or not being able to eat what I like. It is literally unimaginable for me (and also very sad that hunger actually exists in our world).
What are the three things you are most grateful for? My parents; my ambition; my faith