Onyekachi Okeke, Onye for short, is a 25-year Bronx native who has a deep passion for helping her community and using her voice and life experiences to inspire and boost the lives of others. Onye is about to graduate with a degree in Nursing from CUNY’s Hunter College and is planning to work in underserved neighborhoods to help combat health and racial disparities. She is interested in racial justice, higher education, eradicating economic inequality, food justice, public health, youth engagement and community outreach and has participated in many organizations that reflect these areas. Onye aspires to be a healthcare provider who can deliver culturally responsive services to BIPOC and other underserved communities, coupled with becoming an effective organizer who advocates for all people daily. She likes to meet new people, learn from and highlight others’ stories, discuss current events, travel, take photographs, learn history and art, do research, write and read fiction, cook and bake; she is the proud owner of her home bakery business, Onye’s Delights. She credits her Christian faith for her love of uplifting fellow people. She is also a graduate of the Youth Public History Institute. To advocate for improving CUNY student well-being, in 2020 Onye started the Project-19 Initiative to document how the COVID-19 pandemic affected CUNY students academically, financially and mentally. Onye created a video compilation of testimonials from her peers detailing their experiences and how they want the CUNY administration to help them succeed post-COVID. As a history-keeper, she aims to focus on how the pandemic affected the Mott Haven community and delve into racial justice advocacy in the neighborhood. Onye wishes to educate young people on Bronx history and highlight the beautiful legacy of Mott Haven and the Bronx on a citywide scale.
