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After presenting her capstone project, which focused on the mental health challenges of motherhood in the United States, Joycelyn Osei (Col ’26) emerged with a smile on her face, holding the now-rolled-up poster she displayed at the symposium.
“It went great!” she said.
Her path to UVA wasn’t an easy one, and she is quick to share the academic struggles she had in middle school and early high school. Even though her goal was to go to a top university, she had no idea how she’d get there. But her hard work and determination, her community, and the encouragement and programmatic and tutoring support her parents made sure she received helped her graduate at the top of her high school class. At UVA, the Lemuel E. and Sandra Wicks Lewis Bicentennial Scholarship helped her achieve even more.
“My parents have really always been there for me,” said Osei, emphasizing the belief they expressed in her abilities. “My mother always said, ‘Your beginning doesn’t determine your end.’”
Family support is also at the root of the experiences of Sandra Wicks Lewis (Col ’72) and her husband, Lemuel (Col ’69, Darden ’72), who created the scholarship Osei received. Their ties to the University are strong. Sandra Wicks Lewis’s father worked in the UVA Hospital for 40 years, and Lewis herself was one of the first African American women to graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences. Lemuel Lewis recalls being one of few African American students in his class at UVA and looked to the community for support. He met Sandra through a Charlottesville church.
Osei had read the couple’s story when she was matched with the scholarship as part of her financial aid package.
“As a Black woman, I cannot express my gratitude enough for being a part of the legacy of this scholarship,” said Osei.
Osei was born and raised in the Bronx before moving upstate to Pleasant Valley, New York. Upon arriving at UVA, she found Charlottesville more like a small town than a city and felt the pressure of the academic environment. Her successes over the last four years at the University are impressive; nevertheless, she pointed out that it was a difficult journey, fraught with personal loss. She emphasized the importance of having a good support system and finding community.
“I found my people at the Engineering School,” said Osei. “They were all so supportive of me.”
Initially a pre-med major, Osei’s talents in chemistry, calculus, and computer science—and the support of James Bland, Director of the Center for Connection in Engineering—led her to a job tutoring students in the School of Engineering, which paid off professionally and personally. Another important connector for her was the University’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Finding her footing academically and socially gave Osei the confidence to take her UVA experience beyond Grounds—twice. Her first education abroad experience was in Valencia, Spain, where she spent a semester living with a host mother and building the Spanish language skills she was introduced to in New York City. She traveled to 10 countries during those six months, including England, where she met her father’s younger sister for the first time.
Osei’s next trip was to the United Arab Emirates for the 2025 J-Term course “UVA in Dubai: Systems Engineering,” which focused on real-world problem-solving in the context of international consulting. She and her fellow University students worked with the finance tech company Zbooni, founded by Ashraf Atia (Engr ’98), creating business proposals for clients and working on other relevant projects.
“Dubai really opened my mind,” said Osei. “It was a gateway to the business world, and I loved it.”
Now, as Osei looks to the future and a graduate degree at one of the many prestigious universities to which she was accepted, the Lewises’ gift remains with her: “I will be joining the 3.4% of Black women in the United States of America pursuing a master’s degree in engineering, and it’s all thanks to them.”
