Graduate Nursing Student Is Awarded Ford Fellowship

By Kathleen Sullivan
Staff Writer

Elizabeth Zakariah Mika (Photo by Gary Gilbert)

A native of Tanzania, an East African country bordering on the Indian Ocean, Mika is enrolled at Boston College as a 2002 Ford Foundation International Fellow. At CSON, she is pursuing a master's degree in the two-year women's health nurse practitioner program.

Mika was among 9,500 applicants from 14 countries chosen for one of the 173 fellowships. Prior to her arrival at BC, she taught at the School of Nursing of the Hubert Kairaki Memorial Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania's capital city.

"I feel overjoyed and honored," said Mika of her selection as a Ford Fellow. "I feel doors for success opening for me. I realize that my dreams for serving the community at home in Tanzania and across the border will come true after completing my studies."

In addition to her studies, Mika is serving as a teaching assistant in Asst. Prof. Robin Wood's Health Assessment course for undergraduates.

"Elizabeth is a committed, serious student who is a joy to have around," said Wood, who has spent time with Mika outside the classroom, helping her learn the public transportation system and walking together in a breast cancer fundraiser.

The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program provides opportunities for advanced study to exceptional individuals who will use this education to become leaders in their respective fields, furthering development in their own countries and greater economic and social justice worldwide. Fellows are selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement, commitment to the development of their communities and countries, and strong leadership skills and potential.

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