Living the Mission: BiancaRose Nnabue '26

While many high school students are just beginning to think about service, BiancaRose Nnabue ’26 is already leading it. Since age six, she has traveled abroad to provide free medical care, food, and supplies to communities in Southeastern Nigeria as part of the Mezu International Foundation (MIF), a public charity organization founded by her grandparents that provides educational and scientific programming to underserved communities locally and across Africa.

“My role with Mezu International Foundation has evolved significantly over the years,” said BiancaRose. “I’ve taken on greater responsibilities—from triaging at the case history table and supervising children receiving treatment, to shadowing cardiologists, pediatricians, and pharmacists.” She has also begun managing a medicine packaging team and operating pre-testing equipment to improve patient flow. Last year, a research article to which she contributed during her medical mission was submitted to the National Public Health Association, and she is hopeful it will be published.

This experience deepened BiancaRose’s commitment to service and affirmed her passion to pursue a medical career. “These trips have shown me that small acts can have a huge impact,” she added. One particularly powerful moment was when she gave a young girl her first pair of eyeglasses. “Her eyes lit up as she looked around, and she just smiled and hugged me.”

Service isn’t just about giving. It’s about being present, listening, and doing your part to bring light into someone else’s life.

BiancaRose credits her passion for service to her parents, Mr. Chigozie Nnabue and Dr. Kelechi Mezu-Nnabue, and thanks them for providing her with an NDP education which has given her the opportunity to raise awareness for service among her peers. By working on assemblies and programs with the NDP Black Student Union and the Diversity Council, as well as raising funds for the Ancilla Orphanage in Nigeria, she has learned the impact of awareness. This summer, she hopes to partner with local eye care professionals to provide free exams and glasses to highachieving students in underserved Baltimore communities.

She also credits many of her teachers, including Director of Service Steve Pomplon, Speech and Debate Moderator Aimee Sann, and her art teachers, who have played a pivotal role throughout her NDP journey. “As I prepare to enter my final year at NDP, I’m incredibly grateful for all of them,” she said.

BiancaRose’s many accomplishments—including multiple Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Medals, the 2025 American Voices Award in Creative Writing for the State of Maryland, top speech and debate honors, and induction into several National Honor Societies—reflect both her talent and dedication. Recognized by the College Board's National African American Recognition Program and other academic honors, she points to NDP for nurturing her strengths and helping her use them to raise awareness and make a meaningful impact.

“Academic excellence has taught me the importance of using my education to make a difference. Social justice has instilled in me the responsibility to challenge inequality.” And at the heart of it all is a deep, enduring sense of spirituality and service. “Service isn’t just about giving,” she says. “It’s about being present, listening, and doing your part to bring light into someone else’s life.”