Nursing Student Wins Top Honor for Global Health Work

Eniola Sokera just proved that you don't need to wait for a diploma to change lives around the world.

The University of Maryland School of Nursing student earned the 2026 Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarship, the highest honor the University System of Maryland awards to students. Only 12 students received the award this year out of thousands across the state system.

Sokera won in the Outreach and Engagement category for work that stretches across two continents. She co-founded the One in Ten Collective, an international women's health community that tackles stigmatized conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome through education and culturally responsive programming.

The group focuses on breast cancer and reproductive health, creating spaces where women can learn about conditions often left unspoken. By breaking silence around these health issues, the collective helps women recognize symptoms earlier and seek treatment without shame.

But Sokera's community work started even before college. In 2018, while still in high school, she launched Project Opal in her native Lagos, Nigeria. The grassroots initiative delivers essential resources to low-income individuals and families who might otherwise go without.

She's expected to graduate in December with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, bringing both her international perspective and hands-on experience to patient care.

The Ripple Effect

Sokera's dual focus on local and global health highlights something powerful about this generation of healthcare workers. They see health challenges as connected across borders, requiring both grassroots action and systemic change.

Her work with stigmatized women's health conditions creates ripples far beyond individual patients. When one woman learns to advocate for herself, she often shares that knowledge with friends, sisters, and daughters. When cultural barriers around health topics start breaking down, entire communities benefit.

The scholarship recognizes students across four categories: academics and research, innovation and creativity, leadership and advocacy, and outreach and engagement. Each winner demonstrates excellence that extends beyond the classroom into real-world impact.

By addressing healthcare gaps in both Maryland and Nigeria, Sokera models a future where nurses bring global awareness to local communities and carry home lessons back to the world.

Her December graduation will mark the beginning of a nursing career already rooted in service, advocacy, and breaking down barriers to care.