Serena Reflects on Her Internship with the African Diaspora Network

My name is Serena, a Cameroonian studying biomedical engineering at the University of Miami. I am passionate about the intersection of engineering and medicine to enhance lives, with a particular interest in medical device manufacturing for neonatal care. In addition to this, I’ve always had a strong passion for event planning and coordination—which led me to apply for the Event and Administrative Coordinator Internship with the African Diaspora Network (ADN) in support of the 10th anniversary of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS25).

The African Diaspora Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting Africans, African Diasporans, and allies to drive economic growth through entrepreneurship and social impact. One of its flagship initiatives is the African Diaspora Investment Symposium, an annual convening that celebrates African innovation and fosters investment-driven development. Through keynote speeches, roundtable conversations, and speaker sessions, attendees engage with cross-sector leaders to exchange ideas and create pathways for progress on the continent.

This year’s theme, “Beyond Remittances: The Evolving Role of Africans in the Diaspora in Unlocking Transformational Investments”, set the stage for powerful discussions on how Africans in the diaspora can actively contribute to health, agriculture, cybersecurity, and philanthropy beyond financial remittances.

Over the course of three months, I supported the planning and execution of ADIS25. Under the guidance of my supervisors, Fatima Diallo and Omolayo Nkem Oyudo, I was entrusted with responsibilities that shaped both speaker sessions and attendee onboarding. I created session flow documents, conducted in-depth research on panel topics, and drafted tailored questions to guide panel discussions. I also managed over 20 weekly inquiries from speakers and attendees, handled logistics such as visa invitation letters and registration confirmations, and ensured that international guests had a smooth onboarding process.

Thanks to support from Ashinaga USA, I was able to travel to Washington, D.C., and contribute on-site during the symposium from May 28–30. While there, I led real-time digital communications on X (formerly Twitter), live-tweeting keynotes, panels, and performances to extend the symposium’s reach and capture key insights in the moment.

This internship sharpened my ability to balance strategic communication with operational execution. It deepened my understanding of how high-impact convenings are organized and how thoughtful logistics and content planning are essential for a successful event. Most importantly, it affirmed how transferable communication, project management, and stakeholder engagement will be to my future career as a biomedical engineer. 

I am truly grateful to the African Diaspora Network for the opportunity to serve, and to Ashinaga USA for the support that allowed me to experience ADIS25 in person. This experience has shaped my understanding of leadership, impact, and service—and I look forward to building on it in the years ahead.