Grad Profile: Joelle Bikoba

Ellora Biggs - May 14, 2024

As we enter May, college admissions season is finally over. Years of hard work through academics and extracurriculars is finally over. Along with many other seniors, Pioneer’s very own Joelle Bikoba received some very exciting news last Winter, her acceptance to Northwestern University. Joelle is a junior and graduating a year early along with the class of 2024, and in the fall, she’ll be attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. 

Joelle’s path to Northwestern was different than the usual Common Application and UC Application system that most students take; she applied through Questbridge, a scholarship and application program serving first generation and low income students. In August, she applied and was accepted as a finalist, meaning she could rank her top ten schools. At the end of the process, she matched with Northwestern, her third choice. She recalls this event as “one of the most memorable Christmas presents”. 

Getting to Northwestern was no easy feat, Joelle took many challenging AP and Community College classes including Computer Science Principles, Physics 1, and Calculus AB. These classes helped her to improve her study and time management skills. In addition to rigorous academics, Joelle also participated in many extracurriculars. Her two most notable ones are Sports Medicine Club and the robotics team at PHS, Digital Minds. On Digital Minds Robotics, she leads the Administrative Department, running outreach events, fundraising, and media exposure. Through the Sports Medicine Club, she gained her First Aid and CPR certifications and gained valuable field experience through her first aid work with athletes. 

Of course, she couldn’t have done all this without the help of her family and friends. Specifically, she credits her best friend Funmi. “She was my motivation through my whole early grad process. She always pushed me to meet deadlines and encouraged me along the way. I am extremely grateful and honored to have such an amazing person as my friend. She is and will always be the highlight of my high school years.” She hopes to spend her Summer with her friends and family before moving to Illinois. 

At Northwestern, Joelle is majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Since Freshman year, she’s been interested in computer science, combining her interests in medicine and computer science, and allowing her to take a hands-on approach in the field. She also has a personal connection to the field. “In my homeland, there were not many medical technology advancements, leading to me being shunned by hospitals who were not equipped to serve me.” Joelle hopes to improve medical access to those in underserved areas. She’s ready to venture on to the next stage of life and her journey to her degree. The independence and experience she’s gained from her various extracurriculars will allow her “to learn more about myself [herself] and open my [her] eyes to what I [she] can accomplish.” She’s worried about the distance between herself and her current support system, but emphasizes the importance of forming new connections with people there. While moving away to college, it’s important to create a network of friends to support you in your goals. 

To rising seniors and current high schoolers, Joelle wants them to know that they don’t have to be a part of ten different clubs. It would’ve saved her personally a lot of stress. It’s better to devote time to a few meaningful activities rather than trying to do it all. She’s learned a lot throughout her experience such as “the importance of community, having people you can trust in all things. My friends and family provided me support and encouraged me to pursue all I can.” Moreover, she advises to go for it. “The worst they could say is no.” Apply for that job, or to Harvard, “This is one of the only ways to ensure that you are applying yourself to everything and opening more doors for yourself.” 

In 5 years, she hopes to work as a surgical tech, assisting during surgeries by ensuring the quality of the tools. And, in 10 years, she hopes to have reduced the digital divide in the medical sector. She wants to realize her goals of helping underserved countries by traveling over the world to educate people on surgical tools. Her commitment to Northwestern will allow her to do this as well as “meet people from different backgrounds, and learn more about myself [herself] and my [her] passions.” Congratulations to Joelle and all her hard work that got her here thus far! You’ve worked extremely hard, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish.