Erika Ezeiruaku
Vice President
4th Year, Medical Anthropology Major with a Biology Minor

Erika is originally from Anambra State, Nigeria but her hometown is South Jersey. Her role as Vice President entails developing relationships with other organizations on Grounds, serving as a liaison within the committees, and performing duties in absence of the President. Besides assisting the president, she also works closely with the Community Service and Outreach Chair to foster the spirit of service and volunteer work within the African community at UVA, specifically through fundraisers, scholarships and an annual project to give aid and support back to the motherland. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, she plans to pursue a masters degree in Public Health, and then attend medical school to ultimately become a pediatric doctor/practicing private medicine. In her free time, she enjoys sewing/curating fashion looks, reading, going to the gym, shopping, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Onyii Eze
Secretary
3rd Year, Public Policy & Leadership and Global Dev. Studies Major

Onyii is originally from Lagos, Nigeria but currently resides in Northern Virginia. Her role as Secretary involves maintaining the general body member and alumni database engagement, sending out the monthly newsletters, and keeping the OAS’ alumni pages on the website, LinkedIn, and other media platforms updated. She is also responsible for making information on internships, jobs, and other academic/professional opportunities accessible to the wider African community at UVA. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Onyii hopes to return to Africa and work on international development policy for the State Department or an international NGO/consultancy. In her free time, Onyii enjoys music, reading, fashion, soccer, cultural history, and traveling. A fun fact about her is that she grew up overseas!

Ashandra Asamoah
Communications Chair
2nd Year, Pre-Health Major

Ashandra is originally from Ghana but grew up in Northern Virginia. Her role as Communications Chair entails developing and executing effective communication strategies that engage and inform the university about OAS events. She plays a pivotal role in curating compelling content and utilizing various social media platforms to showcase the diverse array of cultural, educational, and social events hosted by the organization. Through her work on the OAS’s social media platforms she crafts a captivating online presence that attracts the university's diverse audience and encourages active participation in OAS events. After obtaining her undergraduate degree she plans to attend a graduate program and further her studies, she hopes to eventually land a career in healthcare. In her free time she enjoys all things beauty and sharpening her skills in makeup, hair and fashion styling.

Cassandra Opoku-Mensah
Treasurer
2nd Year, Pre-Comm Major

Cassandra is originally from Ghana but currently resides in Stafford, Virginia. Her role as Treasurer includes making detailed budgets for events like Africa Day and Umoja Ball and allocating funds appropriately to maximize the success and impact of the event. She is also responsible for making sure these budgets are being followed, as well as monitoring and managing the cash flow of OAS. Additionally, she helps in planning and executing fundraising efforts brought forth by the Fundraising Chair. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, she plans on working in the financial sector with hopes in expanding her knowledge and experience in financial management and risk management. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with family and creating handmade clothes and jewelry.

Kimberly Mugaisi
Fundraising Chair
3rd Year, Sociology and African American Studies Major

Kimberly, often referred to as "Kim," is originally from Nairobi, Kenya. Currently, her hometown is Suffolk, Virginia. In her role as the fundraising chair, her primary responsibility is to spearhead the efforts in garnering financial support for OAS events, notably the prestigious Umoja Ball and the culturally enriching Africa Day celebration. She is also responsible for completing fundraising forms, a critical step towards securing the necessary funds that contribute to the execution of these remarkable events. Additionally, she aids in ensuring that the vision of the events is brought to life flawlessly. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, she hopes to attend Physician Assistant school in hopes of pursuing a career in healthcare. In her free time she enjoys traveling, yoga, spending time with family, volunteering, and trying new foods.

Taiwo Adepoju
Events Coordinator and Africa Day Creative Director
4th Year, Commerce Major

Taiwo, also known as Taiye, is originally from Nigeria but was raised in Richmond, Virginia. She is a 4th year student in the Mcintire school of Commerce studying Marketing and Management with a track in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Brand Consulting and a minor in African and African American Studies. She serves as the current events coordinator and creative director for Africa Day. This entails organizing the logistics and creative vision for a multitude of projects under the current year long reconnecting your roots initiative. Some of these projects include various cultural workshops, Umoja ball, a Nollywood short film, Africa Day and so much more. She plays an important role in making sure that the African/black community is able to engage in various community building activities while also exposing them to the beautiful cultures of Africa in some of the most creative and engaging ways. After obtaining her degree she plans on working in the brand consulting industry with the hopes of expanding her knowledge in the realm of business development, management, and strategy. Outside of school, she works as the founder and CEO of her own clothing company named Ilesanmi where she specializes in producing African-influenced formal wear.

Aida Doucoure
Events Coordinator
4th Year, Human Biology Major

Aida is originally from Senegal and Mali but grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. Her role as co-events coordinators entails organizing large and smaller scale OAS events alongside the events coordinators. She works alongside the rest of exec to plan Umoja ball and coordinate major aspects of Africa day by establishing contacts with the surrounding African community & performers to engage them with OAS events. Additionally, she assists African students become involved in biomedical research at the University and works in a malaria lab to better understand the diseases which plague the continent. After receiving her undergraduate degrees she plans to obtain her masters and eventually attend medical school to work as a physician. In her free time she enjoys reading, crocheting, doing arts and crafts, eating out, and spending time with friends and family!

Sydney Buah
Historian
4th Year, Kinesiology Major

Sydney is originally from Ghana but currently resides in Frederick, Maryland. In her role as Historian, she documents and exemplifies the work done by the Organization of African Students with her photography and videography. Her role also involves working to ensure all the technical details of OAS events are established. Her documentation is displayed and presented to the community to engage the African community at the University of Virgina. After college, she plans to continue and pursue a Master’s in Public in Health degree, and go onto Medical School to become a Physician. Sydney is passionate about health disparities and enriching communities that suffer from poor healthcare due to socioeconomic status. In her free time, Sydney likes to bake, and spend time with friends and family.

Sonia Birate
Political and Cultural Chair
2nd Year, Computer Science Major

Sonia is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently resides in Houston, Texas. In her role as the Political and Cultural Chair, she crafts statements addressing concerns affecting African students not only within UVA but also on a broader scale, while actively cultivating awareness regarding the African continent on campus. Pursuing a Computer Science major within the college, she envisions a life post-graduation where she could embrace pure leisure without worries of employment but she also acknowledges that a position as a Software Engineer could help meet her needs. Additionally, Sonia enjoys going on walks, photography, music, art, fashion, and traveling in her spare time.

Phillip Bonsu
Community Service Chair & Director of Outreach
2nd Year, Global Public Health Major

Phillip is originally from Ghana, but his hometown is Ashburn, Virginia. As Community Service Chair and Director of Outreach, he finds, organizes, and offers OAS members volunteer opportunities and community service projects that appeal to their interests and fit within their areas of specialization and interests. These initiatives range from K-12 mentoring and college application prep to community volunteer work at nearby shelters and hospitals. In addition, Phillip's job as Director of Outreach entails linking Charlottesville community partners with OAS while organizing enjoyable social events and community gatherings that highlight African foods, cultures, and experiences. He aspires to attend medical school after earning his undergraduate degree and becoming a doctor. Phillip enjoys running, reading, sports, and spending time with friends and family in his free time.

Princess Olubuse-Omisore
Social Chair
3rd Year, Global Public Health Major with a Psychology Minor

Princess is originally from Ile-Ife, Nigeria but her hometown is Laurel, Maryland. Her role as Social Chair focuses on fostering a strong sense of inclusivity and community among all members. She strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone. This includes planning and executing exciting social events as well as spearheading the Big Sib Little Sib Program, which pairs underclassmen with underclassmen/transfer students to facilitate mentorship and networking opportunities. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Princess plans to obtain her Masters in Public Health and go on to Medical School with the aspiraton of becoming a Physician. In her free time, Princess enjoys watching films, reading, music, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.