Q+A: Adetutu Oluwasanmi on empowering the next generation, global health and learning from those ahead of you…

If you had infinite time, money and resources to solve just one global challenge, what would it be, and why?

If I had infinite time, money, and resources, I will address global health issues and work towards ensuring that everyone have access to quality and affordable healthcare. I will tackle the issue of emerging and re-emerging diseases globally and put interventions in place to eliminate the threats caused by these diseases. Ill-health is a barrier that prevents people from living their best lives and their ability to influence the world around them. It is commonly said that, “health is wealth”, so I will do my best to create healthier lives for people all over the world.

How did you get involved in STEM?

At a very young age, I was very curious about the world around me, how the biological systems function, and how I could do things differently. This fuelled my passion in pursuing a career in a STEM related field. I recently earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lagos State University and I look forward to applying knowledge gained and make great impact in field of STEM.

If you could share one tip for someone who's new to making a difference through STEM, what would it be?

I would say, “learn from trailblazers who are ahead of you and be open to exploring new ideas, experiences, and possibilities”

How do you think STEM is impacting your community?

STEM is an integral part of our lives and It has impacted the way we live, the way we think, the way we work and even to the simplest things. STEM has presented us with an opportunity to connect with people in any geographic location, provide accessibility to information, improved transportation systems, revolutionized the way we do business (e-commerce), there is continuous improvements in the field of scientific research and so many other benefits. The field of STEM have also prepared young people in my community to be problem solvers and innovators in every sphere of life.

What do you hope that the Youth STEM Summit will achieve in terms of empowering youth globally to tackle the world's biggest challenges, and why do you think this is important?

I believe that this summit will give youths a better understanding of the STEM field, bring to light the vast & endless opportunities in STEM, and also empower youths to solve the world’s pressing challenges. The Youth STEM Summit Design Team are working behind the scenes to bring onboard industry thought leaders, researchers, social entrepreneurs, innovators, and change makers in STEM related field to ensure that the overall goal of the summit is achieved. This is important because youths are the key drivers in the successful implementation and achievement of the SDGs. Therefore, the empowerment of youths in this summit will raise the next generation of young leaders who will make a difference in their communities.

What are you most excited for about the Youth STEM Summit?

I am excited about connecting with youths globally to learn about their journey in STEM and how they are leveraging on STEM to create a difference in their own communities in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).