”My mom always used the word ‘much’ to describe me. I had a very active brain and growing up, I see that now, I was a very active person. My mom was the academic person in the family. She had a training, and she did a master's, but when she got married, she couldn't continue to study and get a PhD because of family responsibilities. And yeah, she always wanted me to follow that path instead. So, she encouraged me to follow my studies and rewarded me every time I did well in school. I think my mom and I, we are very much alike. I look up to her very much.

I cared for everyone a lot, especially my siblings. I grew up in a family of five, and I always make sure that everyone around me was okay. I have always been a caring person!

Naturally, my first choice was to become a medical doctor. But when I started laboratory science, it got really interesting because it's basically the practical part of medicine. We were the ones who discovering the diseases that the doctors would need to treat.

After I had my license to practice as a medical laboratory scientist, I worked for two years in a private clinic in Yaoundé. During my work I noticed a lot of irregularities in the health system in Cameroon, and I felt like I wanted to do more. And I knew that having just a BSc was not enough to make a difference. I wanted an international exposure because it allowed me to compare health systems and understand better how to tackle the situation back in my home country.

What interested me the most were the two tracks they had at Stockholm University — the individual and the societal perspective of public health. I had never heard of them before; what I knew focused mainly on epidemiology and biostatistics in public health sciences. But there are social determinants of health that affects us beyond bacteria and viruses. My long-term plan is to be part of the change in the health system in Cameroon. I plan to use my knowledge to impact policymaking in order to address the public health challenges and health crises we face in my home country."

Every year Stockholm University welcomes thousands of international students from all over the world. Each bringing their own backpack full of experiences, expectations and dreams. Each with their own story.