Ntombizodwa (Ntombi) Makuyana is a determined senior with a strong academic background and a profound interest in hard science research. She goes to Arizona State University (ASU), where she is studying Medicinal Chemistry( Biochemistry) with a minor in Mathematics under Mastercard Foundation Program. Ntombi devotes much of her time to making a difference through volunteering in several hospitals and interning at several research institutes and hopefully one day, she hopes to impact the world positively as a physician and research scientist. She is currently working on research in the Karen Anderson Lab in ASU’s Biodesign Institute that contributes to understanding how the immune response can be used to detect and alter cancer development. Not only is she academically inclined; she is also a resource assistant for ASU’s Global Guides program which helps international students adapt to the campus and a co-founder of African Rhythm: a music group of five talented and engaged ASU students of African heritage who perform acapella and give back to their community in a variety of ways.
Ntombi also shares a passion for women economic empowerment. She believes women are fully capable to become who they want to be in life. With that zeal to empower other women, she has managed to co-found Female Dreamers Initiative: an initiative that aims to empower young girls and women through teaching them poultry skills so they can be self-sufficient and independent. She has won several awards including African Young Achievers award for academic excellence, ASU Venture Devil award and ASU Changemaker award for social impact, Top recruiter award for ASU Involvement Ambassadors and United Nations Academic Impact and MCN fellow 2018.