Mary Okematti, STEM Scholar

Mary Okematti, WCAS '21, from Rogers, MN, is studying cognitive science. She began Northwestern on the Karr Academic Achievement Scholarship, the J.G. Nolan Scholarship, the NU Alumni Twin Cities Scholarship, and the Todd Warren Fund for Undergraduate Students. She aspires to be a doctor who serves disempowered communities to help people take ownership over their health. Her focus is to understand how peoples’ thoughts affect their decision making. She has found a challenge in the STEM field due to underestimation of her because of her black womanhood, but has found that connections with people from the African community in her research lab have provided her with support.