Uzo Okoro ’16 was awarded the Pedro Zamora Scholarship for undergraduates engaged in HIV-related work earlier this month.
Okoro, one of six students to receive the scholarship, was chosen for her influential achievements on and off campus, said John Cunningham, executive director of the National AIDS Memorial Grove, which reviews candidates for the scholarship.
“The connection and passion around the work that was being done was very clear, and her very good academic standing was also taken into account,” Cunningham said. “She has a clear desire to continue the work that has been done after her undergraduate work.”
Okoro’s Nigerian-American roots shaped her decision to pursue HIV research in Nigeria, home to the second-highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, she said. A public health concentrator and Program in Liberal Medical Education student, Okoro researches the relationship among HIV/AIDS, risky sexual behaviors and alcohol.
“I really want to work on dismantling the stigma surrounding HIV in Nigeria to look at factors that people can control,” Okoro said.
On campus, Okoro is a coordinator for the Sexual Health Awareness Group, hosting workshops for fellow students about sexuality, pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention. Additionally, she has worked as a liaison between Health Services and the student body to advertise and destigmatize free HIV testing on campus.
The National AIDS Memorial Grove originally launched the scholarship program in 2009 as the “Youth Essay Scholarship Program” to support and recognize the next generation of young HIV/AIDS activists and leaders as they pursue their education and careers, according to the organization’s website.
The scholarship was rebranded two years ago following the death of educator and activist Pedro Zamora, who dedicated his life to reducing the stigma surrounding HIV and reinforcing prevention methods.
This year, a panel of leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS reviewed 400 scholarship applications. In their assessment, the panel members considered a personal statement touching on the applicant’s community engagement experience, a letter of recommendation, an academic transcript and a list of extracurricular activities, Cunningham said.
Next year, Okoro will attend the Alpert Medical School, where she hopes to build on her undergraduate research and broaden her geographic focus, investigating the risk factors for HIV among Caribbean women.
“There’s still a lot of research that needs to be done,” Okoro said. “I encourage others to step up, as it is a great learning process.”
