2023 Contestants

2023 Contestant My name is Nabila Ivy and I am 29 years old from Washington, D.C. I attended Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. I studied Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Africana Women’s Studies. I am a member of the Rho Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. My mother is from Nigeria and my dad is from the U.S. I am so proud and thankful for my background because I am able to have the best of both worlds of the African Diaspora. My parents have always instilled in me the importance of culture, history, and strong ethical morals. I am so thankful that my mother taught me Hausa since I was born. Being able to understand her language fluently has been something that I’ve never taken for granted. I do a lot of work in the community and pride myself on my creativity. I’m resilient and a visionary. I started hosting several events in D.C. to expand my reach in several areas of the community. I am the creative director and events manager for the Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA). I curate events centered around networking. I saw a lack in diverse opportunities for people of color in D.C. and wanted to do something about it. I have plans to implement different initiatives within the community to help the progression of excellence all across the board. In my free time I like to model, paint, travel, and take my cat named Hello Kitty on walks in his stroller. I want to be the next queen because I want to be able to use this platform to create change as well as impact my community and beyond. This position is not just a title to be proud of but also an opportunity to step up and lead. I know that I will be able to deliver results with my platform in an effort to inspire change. I am very proud of my heritage and who I am, that is why this specific pageant is so important to me. I am dedicated to improving the efforts of Miss Africa USA by cultivating partnerships, strengthening relationships, and advocating for change. I actually submitted an application just before the pandemic; unfortunately the process was put on hold. Now that it is starting again, I would love to be considered for the opportunity to be able to show all that I have to offer. I know that I will be an asset to the Miss Africa USA brand just because of my vision for the future on inclusivity and change. My humanitarian goal is to bridge the gap between the African Diaspora. My background in sociocultural anthropology has given me the ability to look at things from a bigger perspective. I understand the importance of community and coming together. We have to be the ones in charge of determining how we are going to move forward, write our own history and decide what type of legacy we want to leave behind. Bridging the gap, will strengthen our roots and push for overall change. We’ve since then persisted and thrived all across the globe. For the first initiative, I plan on highlighting those achievements by creating networking opportunities with people who are in the position to assist with the need for new job opportunities. I will host seminars that will include resume building, interview prep, and tips for networking. For the second initiative, I plan on hosting events centered on conversations on the African Diaspora by implementing ways we can improve lasting relationships amongst the different groups across the Diaspora. This will foster a safe space to engage in open dialog to express freely different areas of the African Diaspora. For the third initiative, I would like to advocate for the importance of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and how they are an essential part of our progress. Our youth need to be introduced to all opportunities including the chance to experience HBCUs. While staying on track with bridging the gap between the African Diaspora, I would like to create a program that partners schools together from different African countries with the U.S. in efforts to foster relationships between students. They will be able to experience first-hand cross-cultural connections by bonding with students from across the globe. This simple activity will have a greater impact on them long-term, if they are introduced to the African Diaspora at a younger age. They will be able to thrive on a global scale because they were able to have these interactions early on. I believe the three initiatives I stated for my humanitarian goal will help push us forward in the right direction and uplift our community overall as a whole. https://fiangotech.com/ma2023/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_9467-1.mov

I am a 24 year old ambitious lady from Cameroon currently living in the USA, Michigan. I am a licensed practical nurse work to get more experience so as to return to school for my Associates, bachelors and finally get a place in a certified registered nurse anesthesia program. I am single and spend most of my time researching for ways to make orphans around my community back home feel safe and loved.I want to be the next queen because I want to be able to bring hope to the hopeless orphan back in my country, in an orphanage where I already started helping the kids. I want to be able to acquire some more knowledge and empowerment to continue advocating for the orphans My humanitarian goal is to fight hunger and malnutrition amongst the homeless, orphans and needy . Not forgetting the sick and aging population who have no one to care and provide for them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjpWYkFOWI

I am a recent engineering graduate from the University of Oklahoma, a Senior Data Analyst, and the International Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers. While more than half of my life has been spent in the United States, I am fully connected both physically and spiritually to the roots of my dear country, Cameroon. I was born in our wonderful capital, Yaoundé, until I moved to the United States at the age of nine with only five English words in my vocabulary. While transitioning to a different country at a young age was not easy, it allowed me to learn the importance of adaptability.One phrase that I have always carried with me is: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” This quote alone has served me as a reminder that I must keep going, no matter what. That there are expectations I must meet in order to inspire the next generation of Africans that they can achieve whatever it is that they set their minds to. Being the next Miss Africa USA will not only help me achieve the humanitarian goals I have for our youth, but it will also allow me to grow closer to our next generation as a role model and representative.As an advocate for our youth and the International Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers, my humanitarian goal is to give back to our youth. A journal article published by the Environmental Research and Public Health highlights the importance of women having access to menstrual hygiene practices. Because the majority of African countries are considered third world countries, it would only be equitable for me to give back by educating our youth about menstrual cycles through an initiative with a team. My second humanitarian goal pertains to my passion: STEM. Before I became an engineer, it was a dream of mine to become one. Now that I have recently graduated, I want to inspire our youth to build an interest in STEM in Africa. The field of engineering has provided me with more opportunities than I can account for and I would like to inspire our youth to build an interest in this passion of mine, should they choose to do so.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OBp6K4gdrpE&feature=shares

My name is Elizabeth Murphy. My family and friends call me Elle. I was born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, to a family of 4. I had two brothers and an older sister until 2015 when tragedy hit my family, and we lost our youngest ( RIP David). I moved to the United States in 2009 to pursue a degree in Registered Nursing. Upon graduating in 2014, I enlisted, becoming a combat medic in the U.S. Army. I am honored to have served in active duty status for nine years. I realized my calling after enlisting and becoming a leader and mother, yet I could not define my self-identity.After going through a tragic divorce, I moaned not so much over a broken marriage but more so over the shame and taboo that I believed I now represented. I used to think that my worth as a woman was a reflection of my marriage. I got scouted by Southwest Model and talent agency as an uprising model/actress during the most challenging season of my life, and that is when my journey and calling truly began to unfold. I realized that so many young and older adults struggle with an identity crisis daily. Our value and worth have been directly related to our accomplishments, relationship/marriage external perception of success, how much we can be of service as women etc. I went through a season of healing and growth, and after ‘Finding Me,’ like Viola Davis shares in her book, I had to spread awareness. Life is meant to be entirely lived in fullness, emotional well-being, and inner joy and wholeness. But until we take a deep dive into understanding our identity, we can’t stop chasing an alternate reality created by nature or nurture. Who we are is independent of whom society has defined us to be. I am now 32yrs old with two boys and a fur baby, and this journey has led me to realize that as humans and as women especially, we go through an entire lifespan servicing people not giving an ounce of attention to what we are or who we’ve become. I currently have an active blog www.EllesForum.com and a growing podcast called Openminded Africa #OMA geared towards educating, uplifting, and empowering our community to understand and connect to their true identity.  My mission statementTo create a spark within that helps each individual to understand their uniqueness and their unconditional worth

I was born and raised in beautiful and peaceful Zambia, a country known for its kind people, lush landscapes, and natural resources. I draw my inspiration from my Mother & Father who dedicate their lives and careers to community development and care. My father is a global public health specialist for the world bank and my mother is an entrepreneur, women’s rights lawyer and creative. I currently work as a digital marketing project manager for Goldiata Creative LLC. My career focus is mainly centered around marketing development, client service management and brand ambassadorship. I also am a Model and Digital Artist.   When I began my career I was in a shrunken and solitary world of pain and my mental health was compromised. I was living with PTSD, and trauma associated depression and anxiety; during my first year of college I was sexually assaulted. I didn’t report the repeated incidents to the authorities, and I didn’t share my experience with my family. The fear I felt was paralyzing and the guilt and shame I felt were heavy and oppressive. I had been conditioned to believe that the attacks on my body were somehow my fault. Culture and society conditioned me to believe that my assault happened because I acted in a way that made my attacker think “I wanted it”. I’m like millions of survivors who will never experience or receive justice because rape is the most under-reported crime. As a proud African Woman I believe it is my place to share, and take ownership of, my not so uncommon story. Rape is a systemic and endemic social problem that affects victims, and their loved ones, who usually suffer in silence for fear of shame, or continued abuse.  To take ownership of healing and experience, I began working with non profit organizations that focus on youth development, community empowerment and women’s rights.  Deeply conscious of the privilege my mother and father’s struggles have gifted me, I stand as a strong advocate for socioeconomic empowerment for women and children, particularly their constitutional right to education, careers, and freedom of choice.  I believe a stronger Africa starts with a strong sense of self. I believe that our growth and evolution as a global community begins with mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. This strength is cultivated and exercised in vulnerable and open experiences with others. My intent is to create programs and support systems that center the continuity of individual and collective progress. To create a better world we must empower individual and collective development. I’m grateful to represent the Miss Zambia USA platform which is built on a foundation of identity, culture and community. It’s pillars are upheld with creativity, entrepreneurship and health & wellness. As Miss Africa USA I intend to use this incredible platform to amplify mental health wellness and community development interests by creating programs and infrastructural support for women and children of African descent.

My name is Lois Nnenna Owunna, I was born and raised in Nigeria, I am 33 years old ,I reside in new haven Connecticut, I have a bachelors degree in law from Nigeria and transitioning in getting my law license in Connecticut, I love reading , dancing and creating content . I work with Amazon 

My name is Ansima Rosette Mamboleo. You can call me Rosette. I am 26 years old, a law student, professional coach, mental health first aid instructor and community organizer. I was born in Congo; I grew up in South Africa and now I reside in Chicago. I come from a very close-nit family, and I am a 3rd born from a family of 6 children.    I grew up with Christian values and have loved serving my church and community from a very young age. As a Christian, I believe that my biggest purpose in life is to lead a life of service. There are 3 things that inspire me to serve the way I do   1.    Realizing that other beautiful young girls go through what I did. Or when I saw a young person start to change their identity just to fit in and please others. 2.    I desired to pour back into others just like other strangers poured into my life when I had youth camps and bible studies. Those programs always had a way to brighten my week and encourage me, I wanted to be a reason why someone experienced light even if every other part of their life didn’t. 3.    I have always admired civil right leaders that I read about in textbooks or through documentaries. Their selflessness always thrilled me and excited me. I have always looked up to them, I have always desired to leave such a substantial legacy, like they did. There have been many lessons I have learnt from them, the greatest is that these people became heroes because of adversity. They rose up in times of opposition, not when it suited them or when all was peaceful-otherwise, there’d be no need for them. So, I looked at the challenges around me, and decided to rise up and look for solution that would allow us to solve them.   My service platform is called Elpida, which when translated from Greek to English means hope. I have learnt from my past experiences and challenges that even the littlest ray of hope can get anyone through the darkest tunnel as they walk towards the light. With those experiences came the realization that people are most hopeless when they feel inadequate in any capacity or sphere of life. The solution to that in my opinion was by looking for ways in which to serve and bring about radical change through BEETH. The acronym stands for Build, Educate, Empower, Train and Heal.   Build- Strong family structures in which children can grow and bloom in. Build safe communities. Build bridges between the poor and the rich. Build sustainable programs that bring about the eradication of poverty, violence, discrimination and positive development and growth of the community and its people. Build trust between community members and their representatives and local organization. Build mechanisms in which to hold public servers accountable as they serve.   Educate- Provide opportunity for people to have access to quality education. Educate people on social, economic, and environmental issues facing us today and coming up with ways in which those issues can be tackled. Educate people on their rights and the resources available to them. Educate women intellectually, emotionally, financially and mentally.   Empower- Empower people; especially the youth to be active participants and contributors in the well being, the development and positive change of their community and country. To empower women to take up space and be contributors to their country’s economy. Empower women to be at the forefront of crucial conversations and be strong, intellectual leaders. Empower people to feel adequate and to realize that change starts with us, but that change doesn’t come by working alone. To empower people to make vital relationships with people/organizations that will partner behind the plan for change.   Train- Train future leaders to make sure that they have skills that enable them to lead accordingly. Train people on how vital policies are drafted, how to organize actions/protests for change.   Heal- To provide a platform where people are able to heal from injustices of the past. A platform where people can heal from the traumas they have experienced due to their disabilities, discriminations, abuse, violence, or due to broken and unkept communities. To have healthy people as leaders, teachers, friends, parents, trainers (any other occupation) we need to have people who have been able to walk down the road of the past, confronted that which hurt them, forgive whatever and whoever needs forgiveness and find a path to healing and walking forward into the light.   I am excited to be part of Miss Africa USA class of 2023. I look forward to forging lasting relationships, growth and most of all having fun while at it!   To find out more or follow my journey please go towww.instagram.com/a_rosette_mamboleo Subscribe to our YouTube channelhttps://youtube.com/@safariwithelpida3027

Congolese-born American Amini Bonane is a Harvard educated community organizer, cultural bridge builder, and champion for women & girls. Under God’s divine providence, Amini chose a professional career democratizing access to the technology industry. Her 9-5 is being a manager in the Civic technology industry; serving customers in over 110 countries, from individuals stepping into leadership for the first time, to the heads of political parties, international networks, Top 100 charities, and Fortune 500 companies.  Amini’s 5-9 is being the proud founder & Chief Empowerment Officer of Brains Then Beauty: a nonprofit organization she created in 2018 that supports the academic, professional, and personal development of young women through service, mentorship, and leadership training. Amini also holds a fellowship with Ignite National— and she is an active member of the African Women Council, African Immigrant Caucus, CCWM USA, and The Nobel Peace Prize nominating organization WILPF.      Amini’s undergraduate studies focused on the interdisciplinary connections between finance, philosophy, and law; to combat the lack of representation for women leaders in business and government. To quote her hero Michelle Obama, “No country can ever truly flourish, if it stifles the potential of its women, and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.” Amini agrees with former First Lady Michelle Obama in principle and in action so much so that Amini’s tireless work as a previous pageant titleholder has been officially recognized via proclamation, by the 3-term current Mayor (& future governor) of DC, The Honorable Muriel Bowser. Her work also landed Amini on the Leadership Center for Excellence 40 Under 40 List, enabled her to become a 2x Tedx speaker, and led Amini’s story of perseverance to be featured many times on TV networks such as ABC, CBS, FoxSoul, radio programs such as The Steve Harvey Morning Show, and numerous print publications including Leading Ladies Africa. If entrusted with the prestigious title of Miss Africa USA 2023, Amini will use her award-winning expertise in advocacy to: meet with elected officials, amplify the voices of grassroots organizers, and empower disenfranchised people across the diaspora.      From Reactive To Proactive is the title of Amini’s platform, and it also describes the overall theme of her reign. In addition to her local community involvement in the DMV—  finalist Amini Bonane has already begun the work it takes to make a global difference; starting by creating a petition to World Bank to restore funding to areas desperately in need of care. Forbes Africa has invited Amini to attend the 2023 Leading Women Summit in South Africa. Amini has also been approved by the UN Secretariat, to represent her platform as a Miss Africa USA delegate, at the international United Nations RP23 Conference. If selected for the honor, Amini will continue to harness the power of the 15th Miss Africa USA crown, by partnering with her extensive network to start a disaster prevention fund of $100,000; that will provide direct relief for the victims of the Mount Nyiragongo eruption. Amini visited her ancestral home in Eastern Congo in 2015, and witnessed first-hand the destruction from lack of funding, transparency, and awareness. She promised the locals that one day she would return to help them, and with the support of The Miss Africa USA Organization, making history as the 1st ever Queen from DRC, Amini will keep that promise.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_Pc8W-eiY

My name is Naomy Rodrigues and I hail from the picturesque Republic of Cabo Verde. I was born and raised in Praia and, like most students, attended a local public, academic institution. When I was 17 years old my parents took a chance and moved all the way across the Atlantic to the USA, in hopes of providing better educational and economic opportunities for us. This transition came with many challenges including assimilating to the culture, learning English, making friends, understanding the educational system, and so much more. But I didn’t let these challenges stop me. Instead, I used them as motivation to persevere. Through hard work and dedication, I graduated top of my class with honors in both high school and college. During that time I also got involved in several honor societies, campus government bodies, clubs, and organizations. One that stands out the most is “Little Crowns”, a non-profit dedicated to providing academic resources to children.   The exposure to the educational resources and opportunities freely available in the States opened my eyes to the deficit in my own country. Thus, it became a life goal of mine to create a scholarship to sponsor students and school-building projects geared towards making education accessible and affordable to all. The dream is to create a fund called the “Rodrigues Scholarship.” This scholarship will aid economically disadvantaged families and communities by offering resources such as tuition assistance, meals, uniforms, and school supplies. The Miss Africa USA platform is a great opportunity to launch this life changing initiative. As the Queen, I plan to use this platform to present this project to the world, obtain resources and support. My Dad is an educator and he instilled in us from a young age that the brain is the strongest weapon. Therefore I am committed to making this a reality, and the crown will give me the scepter to execute the vision and begin this mission of equipping our young leaders for a better tomorrow.

Bio Coming Soon!

I believe giving is my peace, and pageants give women like myself the platform to advocate for a cause they believe in. My name is Porscha Lee Taylor, and I am a Nigerian, Panamanian American born in the Diaspora from Fayetteville, North Carolina. From humble beginnings, I was exposed to poverty as a child and thereafter blessed with opportunities to advance my education and take up space in the male-dominated industry of Technology, which less than 3% of black women currently occupy today. Throughout my life and career, I’ve witnessed the negative ripple effects that give an unfair advantage to our people daily –And I want to help change that. My dream of becoming the next Miss Africa USA is to make history as the first African American woman born in the Diaspora to ever be crowned. And with this opportunity, I want to push the limit of what is possible for our children’s future and help bridge the adversity gap. My hope is that others will want to be a part of the African Diaspora growth story and be a narrator of who Africa truly is. My love for pageants started at the age of 14 and I decided then I wanted to forge a better future for myself and become a visionary with a dream. A dreamer that would be highlighted for her strength, passion, femininity, and willingness to inspire others. So first, I set out to challenge my negative thoughts of being unable to get a higher education and was accepted into early college at 16, where I advanced my collegiate education in STEM and discovered my talent for coding while in high school. Now at the age of 33, I can proudly look back and say that I am an HBCU Graduate from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communications, was titled Miss District of Columbia United States in 2016, graced a black-owned magazine cover, became a Best-Selling Author, launched a Tech start-up business, became a Capitol Hill Lobbyist for DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Community Volunteer & Nonprofit Activist, launched a Tech Talk podcast in 135 countries, helped raise millions to advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association for my late grandmother, was featured on BBC World & Fox news and is currently working for a Japanese multinational conglomerate technology corporation as a Marketing professional. These life experiences greatly influenced the woman I am today—a fearless woman of faith, compassion, intelligence, confidence, and resilience. Understanding that life’s journey is filled with adversities gives me more desire to want to share my story with the people of Africa; to spread awareness that even though we all may come from similar walks of life like poverty, losing loved ones to violence, or illness— you too can be an overcomer. I truly believe that pageants prove that when you empower women, you empower nations. So, my platform is to be a voice for the voiceless and give hope to the hopeless, through my social change campaign called S.T.E.M. The acronyms are designed to rethink how we see STEM today to stand for “Sisters in Technology and Entrepreneurship Matters”. The initiative is to empower and spread love to 1000 underrepresented girls and women over the next year and help them embrace the beauty of womanhood, appreciate sisterhood, and become the next generation of leaders.  To achieve my impactful goal, I plan to travel to different countries, communities, schools, and libraries to create a safe space for girls to give them the proper educational tools and workshops that provide mentorship, femininity classes, and technology resources. I also plan to act as a conduit for foundations that are in need of resources to ensure an equal playing field for all children. As a STEM advocate & pageant enthusiast, I want to enrich girls globally to know that they can have beauty and brains too! Outside of my ambitious work ethic, I enjoy going to church, spending time with family, hiking trails, dancing, cooking, playtime with my dog, traveling, and having self-care days. It would truly be an honor, blessing, and privilege for a young woman like me to represent the Diaspora and Africa as part of my legacy. I am counting on your vote to help me contribute to the positive social changes shaping the image and reputation of Africa in all of us.

My name is Edlawit S Assefa but many call me Edel. I am Representing Ethiopia for Miss Africa USA 2023. Currently studying astrophysics. In my nature, I like to take on things that are considered hard to achieve, finding them challenging. Which even got me to study Chinese for years. Believing in something is hard to achieve gives me the excitement to work on it much harder than anticipated and helps me challenge myself. I started modeling two years ago. So far, I have come to work with people who have big visions. I am an inspirational model working at local fashion showcases. Like dc fashion week, an Ethiopian fashion extravaganza, printing model, and commercial model. Participated in DC fashion week in 2021 and 2022 and cast for the upcoming Ethiopian fashion week. I’ve had a passion for fashion since I was a little girl. My mother used to be amazed by the clothing I used to make for my dolls and doing fashion shows on my birthdays used to be the highlight.  Fashion is more than just pretty clothes and pictures, it is an inspiring industry worth billions, which can be used for a good cause. This is what got me into humanitarian activities, using something so powerful to do good in this world. My goal is to inspire people to do what they can to help others. My humanitarian goal is to help miss fortune kids in Ethiopia with school supplies and shoes for kids going to school long miles without any shoes. The humanitarian project is related to the Ethiopian rebel war, kids losing their family members who need humanitarian support. I would love to do my part as Miss Ethiopia USA 2023 representative. My Humanitarian platform is about kids in Ethiopia losing their families in the civil war. They need basic school supplies, clothing, shoes, and basic needs. By using the platform I am able to support their educational needs and moral dream of becoming someone bigger, creating the best future generation who will take over the future of Africa. I would love for you to join me on the journey of creating a better world.   Fashion is more than just pretty clothes and pictures, it is an inspiring industry worth billions, which can be used for a good cause. This is what got me into humanitarian activities, using something so powerful to do good in this world. My goal is to inspire people to do what they can to help others. My humanitarian goal is to help miss fortune kids in Ethiopia with school supplies and shoes for kids going to school long miles without any shoes. The humanitarian project is related to the Ethiopian rebel war, kids losing their family members who need humanitarian support. I would love to do my part as Miss Ethiopia USA 2023 representative. My Humanitarian platform is about kids in Ethiopia losing their families in the civil war. They need basic school supplies, clothing, shoes, and basic needs. By using the platform I am able to support their educational needs and moral dream of becoming someone bigger, creating the best future generation who will take over the future of Africa. I would love for you to join me on the journey of creating a better world. 

My Name is Snit Tewoldemedhin, I moved here 4 years ago and I’m a senior neuroscience Student. I play basketball and Tennis and I enjoy dancing salsa sometimes. I speak 3 languages ( Italian, English and Tigrigna) fluently and 2, at an intermediate level ( Amharic and French). While doing my studies I’m also a teacher at a Montessori Preschool because I enjoy working with children.My younger sister has down syndrome and has learning disability. Maria Montessori, the founder of the school I work in, inspired me with how she used her doctorate position to create toys that are educational for children with special needs. Like her, I would love to use my neuroscience degree as well as this platform to make connections and plan to open a school that primarily accommodates children like my sister. Just like we don’t expect a handicapped person in a wheelchair to go up the stairs, but instead we build wheelchair accessible buildings, I would love to make adjustments to our current curriculums and make them successfully achievable for children with special needs.As mentioned above, I would love to make the headquarters of my future school in Africa, and have branches of it around the world. I plan for the curriculum of the school to implement the importance of peace through teaching, role modeling and books to create confident peace oriented future leaders. Last but not least, I would love for the school to be an example to my fellow Africans, diasporas and foreigners that this time we will make sure that people don’t flee of the country to get education but rather stay to get educated in our homelands, and even create study opportunities for those that come out of Africa. It will also create foundation for our own African people to use their education to build their home land and continent.

My name is Amou Mawien, and I am from the youngest country in the world, South Sudan. I am currently studying social work at Morgan State University. I spend my time creating mentoring events and tutoring children of immigrant parents. I plan to continue helping families as a social worker and give back to my country.Coming from the youngest country in Africa, we get overlooked a lot. I want to represent my country and shine positivity and hope in a place that experiences trauma. I want to show my young cousins back home that they have hope and can accomplish all their dreams soon. Being the queen of this pageant will showcase a positive role model to those who look up to me.I am currently creating a mentorship program for young teens in the Baltimore area. I will give back to inner-city teens and help them prepare for college. My overall goal is to provide mental health resources to African citizens. Unfortunately, many Africans do not believe in mental health; hopefully, one day, I can motivate my people to go to therapy.

Miss Africa 2023 My Name is Snit Tewoldemedhin, I moved here 4 years ago and I’m a senior neuroscience Student. I play basketball and Tennis and I enjoy dancing salsa sometimes. I speak 3 languages ( Italian, English and Tigrigna) fluently and 2, at an intermediate level ( Amharic and French). While doing my studies I’m also a teacher at a Montessori Preschool because I enjoy working with children.My younger sister has down syndrome and has learning disability. Maria Montessori, the founder of the school I work in, inspired me with how she used her doctorate position to create toys that are educational for children with special needs. Like her, I would love to use my neuroscience degree as well as this platform to make connections and plan to open a school that primarily accommodates children like my sister. Just like we don’t expect a handicapped person in a wheelchair to go up the stairs, but instead we build wheelchair accessible buildings, I would love to make adjustments to our current curriculums and make them successfully achievable for children with special needs.As mentioned above, I would love to make the headquarters of my future school in Africa, and have branches of it around the world. I plan for the curriculum of the school to implement the importance of peace through teaching, role modeling and books to create confident peace oriented future leaders. Last but not least, I would love for the school to be an example to my fellow Africans, diasporas and foreigners that this time we will make sure that people don’t flee of the country to get education but rather stay to get educated in our homelands, and even create study opportunities for those that come out of Africa. It will also create foundation for our own African people to use their education to build their home land and continent.