News Post

Jessica Edem ‘24 exuded gentle strength on the Nolan Center stage as she spoke about her commitment to service and helping others; after winning the Miss Akwa Ibom pageant nationally - representing the DC chapter of the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria USA - and stepping outside her comfort zone to do so, Edem thought about a Bible verse: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). She felt called to the role of Miss Akwa Ibom and the responsibilities that came with it, including service.

In her Fides et Scientia (faith and knowledge) speech on February 10, 2025, Edem said of her experience, “This whole journey has taught me that God has positions molded just for us, placing us there regardless of our qualifications; and in doing so, qualifies those he calls for the task He has molded just for them.”

The Dickinson College freshman pursuing a major in biology and a minor in Africana studies has experienced an unusual first year of college after being crowned at the Miss Akwa Ibom pageant in August 2024. “It’s been a wild journey of learning and gaining new experiences, but I've grown to accept myself and where I stand with my culture a lot more,” she said. 

A part of that is because Edem has now traveled to Nigeria twice in the last year when her last previous visit was a decade ago, and found a passion project quickly - providing medical equipment, educational resources, and other items to the primary health center in her mother’s village, donating bedding and a birthing chair to improve women’s experience and care. A premie at birth, Edem is also partnering with a children’s hospital to donate an incubator. In addition, she’s volunteered with ImaBridge Africa, a Catholic charity organization, and spent time at a local orphanage.

“I needed to physically be there, see the need with my own eyes, hear about the struggle from the people experiencing it firsthand, and honor their dignity by having these stories be the foundation of my planning when I returned to the US,” said Edem. “There is power in showing up, in making the effort to really commit to a project fully and go all-in.”

“I chose Jess to speak to the students because she is such a beautiful example of a Visitation graduate who is immediately living out her call to be a woman of faith, vision, and purpose,” said Kati Hylden Krueger ‘99, Director of the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center who invited Edem as part of the speaker series.

“I’m so grateful that this title allows me to be more than a figurehead, a girl with pretty dresses and a bright smile, but really someone who’s able to use her passions and her intellect to work for change. Time and time again, Visitation girls are taught the importance and value of service, and are encouraged to take what they learn at Visi out into the world to touch people’s lives,” said Edem. “So I want to encourage you to go out, even if you think you don't have the power, or the funds, or the experience, or the background to have an impact on someone’s life, you do.”

“I loved her description of service being the vehicle to bridge communities and to have that meaningful impact on others, even being present to others is so powerful,” said Krueger. “I hope that our students are inspired by her story to see that they too can sink themselves into a particular niche of the world that needs attention and care and that they too can grow in confidence to make a positive impact on the quality of life that other people lead.”