Priscilla Adom: Leveraging ACN Opportunities for Inclusion and Impact

For many young professionals, the journey from ambition to opportunity is often filled with uncertainty. For Priscilla Adom, this reality was well known.

As an undergraduate student pursuing a career in healthcare, she was eager to grow, learn, and make a meaningful difference in her community. However, finding the right opportunities was not always easy. Like many young people, she spent countless hours searching for platforms that could help her develop professionally while connecting her passion for health with her desire to create social impact.

“I knew I wanted to make a difference, but I wasn’t always sure where to begin or how to access the opportunities that would help me grow,” Priscilla recalls.

Everything began to change when she discovered the African Career Networks (ACN) as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. Drawn by ACN’s strong emphasis on mentorship, career development, and leadership growth, Priscilla saw ACN as more than just another program. It was a doorway to possibilities she had been searching for.

“When I came across ACN, I felt it was exactly the kind of community I needed. The focus on mentorship and personal growth aligned perfectly with my aspirations,” she says.

Over the years, she immersed herself in several ACN initiatives, including the AL for Health Co-Creation Fund Challenge, the AL for Infrastructure Co-Creation Challenge, and the AL for Health Research Fellowship. Today, she proudly serves as an ACN Ambassador, helping inspire and support the next generation of young African leaders.

But the true impact of ACN on Priscilla’s life cannot be measured simply by the number of programs she participated in. Its impact is reflected in the person she has become.

Through mentorship, collaborative projects, and interactions with peers from diverse backgrounds across Africa, Priscilla gained more than technical knowledge. She developed confidence. She strengthened her communication skills. She learned how to think strategically about complex challenges facing African communities and how innovative solutions can emerge when passionate people work together. “Before ACN, I often doubted whether I was ready to take on leadership roles. Through the experiences and opportunities I received, I learned to trust my abilities and step forward with confidence,” she shares.

One experience that particularly shaped her journey was the opportunity to engage with mentors and fellows who shared a common vision for Africa’s development. These relationships expanded her perspective and challenged her to think beyond traditional approaches to healthcare. They reinforced the importance of research, evidence, and data in solving public health problems. “The mentors and peers I met through ACN helped me see that the challenges we face in Africa can be solved when passionate people come together with a shared purpose,” Priscilla explains.

Inspired by these experiences, Priscilla deepened her commitment to health research and social innovation. Today, as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and founder of HerHealth Hub, she is working to improve access to health information and services for women and adolescents, particularly those in underserved communities across Ghana.

The influence of ACN can also be seen in her current research exploring HPV vaccine uptake among women living with disabilities in Ghana, an area that seeks to address health inequities affecting vulnerable populations. By combining healthcare expertise, research, and community engagement, she is contributing to solutions that have the potential to improve health outcomes for women who are often overlooked.

“My goal has always been to ensure that vulnerable populations are not left behind. Through research and community engagement, I hope to contribute to solutions that improve health outcomes and create lasting change,” she says. Perhaps the most powerful lesson Priscilla learned throughout her ACN journey is that sustainable impact is never achieved alone.

She discovered that collaboration is one of the greatest catalysts for change. Working alongside people with different experiences, perspectives, and expertise not only strengthened her own abilities but also amplified the impact she could create. This lesson continues to guide her leadership approach today. “One of the biggest lessons ACN taught me is that no matter how passionate you are, your impact becomes greater when you collaborate with others and remain open to learning from different perspectives,” she reflects.

Looking back, Priscilla sees ACN as a turning point in her personal and professional journey. The program helped transform a passionate student seeking opportunities into a confident leader, researcher, and social entrepreneur dedicated to improving lives.

As she continues to expand the reach of HerHealth Hub and pursue innovative, data-driven solutions to healthcare challenges, she carries forward the values that ACN instilled in her: collaboration, continuous learning, leadership, and service. “ACN didn’t just help me build skills; it helped me believe that I could create meaningful change. It gave me the confidence to pursue bigger goals and the network to make them possible,” she says.

Her story is a powerful reminder that when young people are given access to mentorship, opportunities, and supportive networks, they do not simply advance their careers—they become agents of change capable of transforming communities and shaping Africa’s future.

To young people considering an ACN program, Priscilla’s message is simple: “Do not disqualify yourself before applying. Be open to learning, engage actively, and embrace every opportunity. You never know which opportunity will transform your life and enable you to impact others.”