Mentorship Sessions Ep. 14: Dr Naa Adzoa Adzeley Boi-Dsane Inspires Young People to Apply Technology Wisely

The fourteenth episode of the 2025 Mentorship Sessions centred on the theme “Tomorrow’s Innovators: Navigating STEM Careers for a Changing World.” The session introduced students to the importance of leveraging technology for social change, the need to challenge sexism within professional spaces, and the value of continuous learning to remain competitive in the job market.

The mentor for the session, Dr Naa Adzoa Adzeley Boi-Dsane, a Medical Doctor and an independent researcher, shared insights from her work in medicine and her strong commitment to disability inclusion. Her background is notably diverse. She developed a passion for media and sports at a young age, distinguishing herself as a talented basketball player while also leading the NSMQ team at Wesley Girls’ High School. When faced with choosing between basketball and the quiz team, she ultimately selected the NSMQ, a decision she continues to value for the lasting memories and opportunities it afforded her.

During medical school, a brief visit to the School for the Deaf sparked a strong passion to learn sign language and help bridge communication gaps in healthcare for people with hearing impairments. She made it a personal mission to return to the school after graduating. In 2021, she volunteered there and learnt sign language within six months.

Before completing her service, she introduced ABACUS to the students, empowering them with a practical and visual approach to mathematics. She later expanded her impact by creating a YouTube programme to teach sign language and working with a team to incorporate Ghanaian Sign Language into the School for the Deaf’s curriculum.

In outlining the challenges she has faced in her career, she identified sexism as one of the most significant. She noted that, as a young female professional striving to innovate and carve out a new path, her work was often undermined or dismissed. Her strategy for overcoming this was to develop resilience and ensure that she consistently excelled in everything she did.

“There is a lot of sexism when it comes to the working world. Sometimes people are going to look at you in a certain way or not trust your work because you are female. The best way to deal with this is to do your work well and prove them wrong.” She noted.

She went on to highlight the significance of technology, noting its impact on key aspects of her work, including curriculum development and advocacy through online petitions. However, she advised students to use technology responsibly, stressing that it must serve as a tool for solving problems, uplifting others, and driving positive social change.

“Use your platform in a way that will edify people and in a way that will bring about social change.” She added.

She concluded the session by encouraging students to focus on developing skills that will ensure their relevance and make them highly valuable assets in the competitive job market.

The 2025 edition of the STEM Festival is produced by Primetime Limited and proudly sponsored by Trustur AI, Jupay, GTP and YFM.