2023 James M. Wordsworth Scholarship:    Ilda Bengui

Degree Pursuing: Masters Health Administration
University: Strayer University
Anticipated Graduation Date: 12/15/23

My name is Ilda Bengui, I am naturally from Angola/ Luanda; I was forced into marriage when was only 18 years old and I gave birth to twins when I was 22 Years old. Daniel and Daniela are their names. After many years of abuse in the marriage, I decided to seek asylum into the United States. I arrived in the USA in 2008, with 2 children and $200 in my pocket.

I worked 3 days and put myself to college because I knew education was the key to my success and my children success. Last year I joined the army, I was planning on using the 9/11 Army bill to pay for my children college. 2 moths before I graduated for the military training, my daughter calls me and tells me she received a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin Madison where she will be studying Project management. God Is good.

I have been in school forever, from my nursing school which closed and left me with many loans, to Strayer University where I am now concluding my master’s in health administration with a concentration in Public Health. I am a founder and a member of UNITED WOMEN EMPOWERED, a small organization where multiple educated women come together and provide training and tutoring to other women and their children; I am also a member of MENDED WINGS, an organization which supports women with history of abuse.

My major contribution which resulted in increased protection of human health is the CPR training we provide in my country. Going Door to door, we provide CPR training to young adult. During COVID, many children died in my country because their parent did not know how to perform CPR, people are dying because we lack the skills to help them live a little longer. More than 100 women and man today now how to perform CRP because we care.