Philosophy and Political Science Major Louise Missome-Engohang Receives Full Ride at Harvard University

Louise Missome-Engohang will be attending Harvard University in the fall, in pursuit of a Masters degree in Public Policy.  Louise has been offered a full scholarship and stipend.  She plans to specialize in the intersection of social, urban, and immigration policy to help document the experiences of black foreign-born immigrants and people from marginalized communities.  After she completes her Masters program, she plans to obtain a law degree and hopes to build a career in helping those who feel voiceless.  

Louise is graduating with Highest Honors.  She has a double major in Philosophy and Political Science and is writing her Honors Thesis, “The Effects of Racial Gaslighting on Community Policing: An Exploration of Contemporary Hermeneutical Injustice within Marginalized Communities,” in Philosophy with Professor Jill Dieterle.  

Louise has received numerous awards and accolades during her undergraduate career, including a 2025 EMU Women of Excellence Award, the 2024 Philosophy Undergraduate Essay Prize, and the 2024 Esther Walker Barnard Philosophy Scholarship.  Louise was a 2024 Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow, for which she attended the Junior Summer Institute at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy.  She is also a three-time National Speech and Debate runner-up.  

Louise also has extensive service to the university and surrounding community.  She served as a Senator and Senate Parliamentarian in Student Government in 2022 – 2023.  During her service, she led an initiative that dispersed over 100 free OZZI box containers to students so they could have access to meals after the Commons and Eateries were closed.  She is currently Secretary of EMU’s National Black Pre-Law Student Association chapter (which she helped to bring back to life last year).  She served on EMU’s public safety oversight board, and is currently a TRIO mentor, helping low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities navigate higher education.  Finally, Louise volunteers for Meals on Wheels in Ypsilanti, delivering food to those in need every Monday and Friday.  

Louise is a first-generation African immigrant.  She helped to found her father’s non-profit organization, EKAZA, which is dedicated to bridging educational gaps.  EKAZA hosts STEM camps and after-school programs, and mentors students from low-income backgrounds.  

The College of Arts and Sciences congratulates Louise on all of her accomplishments and wishes her the best in her graduate studies.