Fortune Onwuzuruike Receives Nell Hamilton Trotter Award for Student Leadership

2017 May 1

Fortune Onwuzuruike, a Georgia State University health informatics major from Marietta, has been named the recipient of the Spring 2017 Nell Hamilton Trotter Award, the university's highest honor for student leadership.

Onwuzuruike's time at Georgia State has been marked by a commitment to leadership and service. He began his collegiate journey by participating in the Summer Success Academy for first-year students in summer 2013 and got involved as the vice-president of the Hall Council. During his first year, he was president of Piedmont North Hall Council and a Student Government Association volunteer. He joined Tighter Grip and the African Students Association, and became a brother of the Pi Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

During his sophomore year, Onwuzuruike accepted leadership roles that allowed him to have an even greater impact on students, including senator for the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions, First-Year Experience mentor and Black Sophomore Society member. He completed the Panther LEAP program in preparation for leadership in University Housing, was crowned Homecoming Prince in his sophomore year and ended the year as a Summer Success Academy peer mentor.

In his junior year, Onwuzuruike was vice-president of student services for the Student Government Association. One of his most significant accomplishments in this role was the development of the commuter student meal plan, which provides an affordable and convenient on-campus eating option for commuter students. He also worked to implement grocery shuttles for residential students and used social media to inform students each month about campus departments. His work in the Student Government Association led to his election as the first Student Government Association president for the consolidated campuses of Georgia State and Perimeter College.

During his tenure as president, Onwuzuruike created a bill to have university-wide Student Government Association meetings live-streamed to allow participation for officers without the burden of transportation to different campuses. He also advocated for more than 50,000 Georgia State students by serving on the Fiscal Advisory Committee of the university and the Student Advisory Council of the Board of Regents.

While balancing all of his co-curricular responsibilities, Onwuzuruike made the Dean's List every semester of his academic career. He has received several academic scholarships and accolades for being a volunteer in the community. Upon graduation, Onwuzuruike will begin working with the largest health system in Georgia, Wellstar Health System, in the Information Systems Department. He hopes to return to Georgia State to complete the dual MBA/MHA program of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business in preparation for a career as a healthcare executive.