For T’Emi Oshin, medicine was never simply about what happens inside a clinic. Long before college, the Midland native imagined herself becoming a doctor. But as she grew older, science, public health and community work broadened that ambition, showing her that improving lives can begin well before a patient reaches an examination room. At 20, Oshin is now a junior at Wayne State University, studying public health and neuroscience while preparing for medical school, states an online report by Midland Daily News. Alongside her academic journey, she has built a record of youth advocacy and community leadership that has recently earned her two significant honours. Scroll down to read about her journey.
A first for Wayne State
In September, Oshin was selected for the 2026-28 class of Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholars, becoming the first student from Wayne State University to receive the public service scholarship, states the online report.The programme offers financial support, mentorship and funding for a summer work experience that scholars design themselves. Oshin plans to use the opportunity in 2027 to learn from youth-led organisations in other communities, exploring how young people are tackling challenges around them and what barriers they face.The scholarship comes at a point when Oshin is increasingly interested in the space between medicine and public policy. She hopes to become a physician, with primary care and paediatrics among the areas she is considering, but she is also curious about the role of nonprofits and government in creating healthier communities, adds the report.
Finding her voice through community
As per the report, Oshin’s commitment to advocacy began during her school years in Midland. As a junior at H.H. Dow High School, she founded the Black Student Alliance after conversations with fellow Black students revealed a need for greater connection and a safe space to discuss their experiences.The initiative grew beyond simply creating a community for students. Members gave presentations to younger students about Black history and related subjects, turning the group into a platform for education and engagement. Oshin later helped establish Black Youth of Midland, bringing young people from different schools together for monthly meetings at the Midland Area Community Foundation. Her introduction to philanthropy also came through the foundation’s Midland Area Youth Action Council. The experience helped shape an interest that has since become an important part of her work.
Academic excellence with a wider purpose
Oshin’s academic record has been equally striking. She graduated from Dow High in 2024 and was named one of 625 semifinalists in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, selected from more than 6,000 candidates nationwide. She also earned a 1590 on the SAT, one of the highest scores associated with Dow High. At Wayne State, she is part of the BS/MD Med-Direct programme, combining undergraduate education with a pathway toward medical school, adds the online report.Her interest in public health developed during high school as she became more aware of how factors outside a doctor’s office can influence health outcomes. That perspective has particularly drawn her toward Black youth mental health and the broader conditions that shape young people’s wellbeing.
A new chapter in public service
Oshin’s growing list of accomplishments has now added another distinction. On November 18, she is scheduled to receive the Outstanding Young Philanthropist award at the National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon at Saginaw Valley State University. The Midland Area Community Foundation nominated her for the honour.Behind the awards is a network of teachers and mentors who helped nurture her interests, from science educators and STEM mentors to advisers who supported her youth advocacy efforts.For Oshin, the next chapter appears to be less about collecting achievements and more about understanding how those achievements can translate into service. Whether that eventually takes her into a clinic, a nonprofit, government or a combination of all three, her goal remains rooted in the same idea that shaped her ambitions as a child: using knowledge to make life better for others.Images Courtesy: Midland Daily News
