Clinical research specialist’s entry on Core Value of Diversity discusses growing up in Baltimore, educational pursuits, connecting with patients, and more.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and its Council for the Arts & Culture congratulates Devon Nwaba, MPH, clinical research specialist at the School of Medicine, for winning the Hamilton ticket drawing, which featured entries on living UMB’s Core Values by our faculty, staff, and students. Nwaba won two tickets to see the acclaimed play Hamilton at the Hippodrome Theatre on Tuesday, July 2.
More than 120 people from the UMB community entered the drawing. Thank you to all who participated! In the next few weeks, UMB’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs will be contacting those who had the most compelling submissions about the opportunity to take part in an upcoming Core Values campaign for the University.
Here is Nwaba’s entry on the UMB Core Value of Diversity:
Growing up as one of 11 children of Nigerian descent, I have always stood out among my peers. I did not have the everyday family that people thought would be in Baltimore. However, I learned to appreciate who I am, where I come from, and the journey I was chosen to take. It has allowed me to be an example for my 7-year-old daughter.
Our family unit is very close, and we support one another in all we do. We are inseparable as siblings but have each grown and blossomed in our own individual ways. Growing up in Northeast Baltimore, my parents instilled the importance of family, education, and embracing the diversity of our lives and others. I feel that the UMB Core Value of Diversity best demonstrates the woman I am today.
I attended Baltimore City College and was in the International Baccalaureate program and the Advanced Placement program. I always saw beyond my corner of the city and wanted to reach for the stars. My Baltimore City College education allowed me to get accepted and blossom at Johns Hopkins University as I obtained my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Health degrees. That part of my journey led me to love epidemiology and clinical research, which has brought me to my current position at UMB.
As a Nigerian woman, being a native of Baltimore has allowed me to embrace and accept the diversity of myself and others around me. This also has helped me to be great at what I do at work daily — share with patients about the various research studies I am assigned. I am not the most outgoing person, but I have found that embracing my differences allows me to embrace and relate to the differences of others.
I truly enjoy speaking to and working with all patients. I especially enjoy when they share personal stories about their lives or their own journey. I enjoy connecting with others on all levels. UMB is a wonderful place to work because we are not just all gray — we are a rainbow of experiences, people, lifestyles, patients, and memories, and I look forward to working here as we continue to grow as a UMB community and as we connect with our surrounding West Baltimore community to create a more diverse and united Baltimore.