IMPACTFUL CARE

Alumnus making a difference in health policy

Philanthropist, bedside nurse, leader: All of these describe Tonychris Nnaka (’15 BSN). Born and raised in Nigeria, Nnaka has been driven to make a difference in health care from a young age after witnessing the heartbreaking death of his sister from a waterborne illness. He moved from Nigeria to the United States when he was 17 in search of an education that would help him achieve his goals.

“UTA was my first choice,” Nnaka says. “It was where I wanted to go.” A focused student, he was also in the Honors College, where he found a lifelong mentor from the program.

Nnaka went to work at Baylor University Medical Center. It was then that he also began saving for the elementary school that he would eventually establish in Nigeria. The school now has over 200 students.

After earning his master’s degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Nnaka enrolled in a PhD program in nursing, with a concentration in precision health and health policy, at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as a policy advisor to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, informing the mayor on health and environmental policy strategies and executions.

“I love nursing. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Nnaka says. “It has given me the opportunity not to just work, but gain real-life experiences that I take with me into every new role.”