Several years ago in the Gold Coast (now present day Ghana), a Fante man from Cape Coast traveled to Koforidua in the Eastern region in search of a career; little did he know that he would find the love of his life in this newfound setting. He fell in love with an Akuapem woman. God blessed their subsequent union with children, Maame Esi being the fourth out of eight children. Ever since her birth, she has always been her family’s ”beauty queen”.

Maame Esi Aidoo is a twenty-three year old young lady who currently resides in Buffalo, NY. She grew up in Cape Coast, Ghana, with her many siblings. Maame Esi moved to Brooklyn, NY, in her early teens to live with her mother. She received her high school education at College Prep (Erasmus High School), where she won the prom princess of her graduating class of 2012. After high school, she relocated to Buffalo, NY, to continue her education, enrolling at SUNY Buffalo State College in the fall of 2012. She entered a beauty pageant contest and was crowned, ”Miss Ankobia, 2013”.

Shortly after, she transferred to SUNY University at Buffalo to continue her studies, ultimately graduating with a double degree in Health and Human Service (with a major in Mental Health), International Trade and a minor in Counseling.

Maame Esi has always had the heart and desire to help others, irrespective of their race, gender, sexuality or background. This passion compelled her to pursue a career in Human Services. After graduation, Maame Esi worked as a Medicaid Service Coordinator for a renowned non-profit organization. Maame Esi’s career path is geared toward making a transformative impact in the lives of people, especially those who are marginalized in everyday society. Along this line, Maame Esi serves as a counselor for people recovering from substance use, co-occurring substance needs and other mental health-related illness.

In this capacity, she provided a wide range of comprehensive services to her residents to help them make better choices en route to improving their quality of life. Next stop, this young lady will be pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, concentrating on the Social and Behavioral sciences. Her goal is to work across international borders, contributing her expertise to measures that will improve the health and conditions of populations in developing and developed nations.