2025 Lincoln Laureate Plans to Combine Medicine and Impactful Research

North Central College biochemistry major Nmesoma Onyejekwe ’26 was named a 2025 student laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The award honors outstanding seniors from each of the state’s four-year degree-granting colleges and universities. Student laureates are selected for their leadership, service and excellence in curricular and extra-curricular activities. 

Onyejekwe was one of 53 seniors recognized during an award ceremony at the University of Chicago on Oct. 18. 

“I am deeply honored and grateful to be selected as a 2025 Lincoln Laureate recipient,” she said. “It came as a pleasant surprise and also as a powerful motivation to keep doing meaningful work.”

An international student from Nigeria, Onyejekwe has excelled in and out of the classroom. She has spent her summers conducting research at North Central as well as at the Knight Cancer Research Institute at Oregon Health and Science University and at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University. 

On campus Onyejekwe is a Peer Health Educator at Dyson Wellness Center, a Speaking Center Tutor, an International Student Ambassador, and a member of the NCC for Africa Club. She is also founder and president of North Central’s CreateForKids, a student-led service organization that seeks to inspire children in hospitals through art. 

Onyejekwe’s dream is to become a physician-scientist, combining clinical care with research to improve patient outcomes. After graduation, she plans to spend a gap year gaining further experience in clinical research settings before attending medical school.