AUGUSTA, Ga. — When she’s not holding a sign, she’s wearing a sash.
Augusta University graduate Alexis Ezeanii is Miss Garden City and a physician-scientist in training.
“I hope to work as both a physician, hopefully a neurologist, and work in the clinical setting with laboratory work as well,” Ezeanii said.
She says the pageant and scholarship program paired perfectly with her schooling.
“My community service initiative is neurodegenerative disease,” she said. “At Augusta University, I did a lot of Parkinson’s disease research, published a few papers. It was an amazing experience to be on the science side of medicine as well as the community engagement side.”
Less than a week after graduating, Alexis was back in Atlanta advocating for early Alzheimer’s treatment drugs. She was one of the few young adults there.
“It’s very important for the young voices to come together and speak about these matters,” she said.
Ezeanii also communicates through music. She started playing piano at five years old.
Studies have shown music can improve mood and cognition in people with neurodegenerative diseases, so along with her major in cell molecular biology, Ezeanii plans to use her minor in music to help her future patients.
“There’s a lot of music therapy that I’ve been looking into that really helps with people expressing themselves and it helps with brain function,” she said.
Even though she has graduated, her next step is more school. Being a physician-scientist requires medical training, so she still has several more years to go.
But, Ezeanii is optimistic and barreling toward a field that needs more young minds, just like hers.
“I’m very much looking forward to that next step in my life,” she said.
Ezeanii says she’ll decide soon about where to attend school for her medical training. First, she’ll compete in the Miss Georgia competition in June.