“Bloom where you are planted”, a well-known quote we often come across. We all have the potential to blossom and become all that we are created to be, and this is what Nyahsa Mutembawa president of DUSA is striving to achieve.
In May 2022, Nyasha was elected as the First Black Female President of Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA). She is an engineering graduate and oversees over 19000+ students, as the lead of DUSA’s Executive Committee. Nyasha, also known as Ash, is responsible for ensuring that the voices of students are represented and influence the overall student experience. She sits on several Executive level Boards and committees within the University and the Association to make sure every decision is inclusive and representative of what students want and need. On Friday 4th November, she will be representing her home country of Zimbabwe as the only representative from Scotland after being selected as a Miss Africa Great Britain Finalist.
When asked how it feels being one of the finalists, Ash said, “Being Miss Africa Great Britain to me will be the start of something new. It will be the very proof I need to know I can be whoever I want to be and still change lives no matter the aspect. I still believe I have more of myself I can give to help others and make a difference wherever I touch.”
Having never done anything like this before, Ash randomly applied for the pageant earlier this year and has worked hard to make it happen. She wants to inspire and support people around her. With her own journey she has learned to own and embrace her differences which has left her feeling empowered. She wants to pass that feeling of empowerment to people around her and fulfil her full potential. She dreams of using all her experiences to help people improve their quality of life, from bringing a simple smile to supporting your learning and development, she wants to do it all.
She expresses her excitement and future plans with zeal and says, “Through my campaigns for my presidency, I spoke about the importance and the amazing support all my communities have offered me. From playing in the Dundee Women’s Basketball Firsts’ to being in the committee for Women in STEM and Civil Engineering Society to being President of the African-Caribbean Society. These are all groups I formed bonds with and fortunately have made me the person I am today. I am an individual that thrives on helping others everywhere I go; through leadership initiatives, I’ve been involved in, like Young Women Lead where young women came together to focus on the chosen local issue of unsatisfactory Sex Education which has led to Dundee being the teen pregnancy capital of Scotland and the UK.”
Being a Black Female President and getting to celebrate Black History Month has been a wholesome experience, Ash aims to continue celebrating Black History every month as it feels empowering and inspiring and with the Grand Finale of Miss Africa Great Britain happening on November 4th in London, she hopes to use the experience to continue to bloom.
If Nyasha’s journey inspire you and you want to help her fulfil her wishes and be a part of her journey by sharing & voting for her:
Priyanka Joshi is a web content writer and advice & support officer at DUSA.
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