Nadiya Muhammad ’25 found herself in tears the first time she witnessed a baby coming into the world. “It’s such a special moment,” she observed. A chemistry major from Chicago planning for a career in medicine, she has been involved in hospital shadowing and internships since high school, including a rotation in labor and delivery during winter break in 2022-23.
One birth, though, engendered a more negative response. The ambiance was like a factory, Muhammad sensed, with harsh lighting and the doctors “talking over” the mother. “It really hurt me to not see the mother fully comfortable or even fully aware of what was going on in this experience that’s supposed to be life-changing,” she recalls.
As she processed what she had seen, Muhammad wondered what alternatives were available for mothers. “Is there a way that traditional midwifery, hospital birth and allopathic medicine can come together to create a system that’s more patient-centered?” she mused. “How do we dismantle the medicalization of childbirth?”
A Year to Explore Her Interest
Thanks to a fellowship from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation, Muhammad will have a year to explore her interest, specifically focusing on how midwifery and herbal-based medicine are practiced in the African diaspora. She will travel and interact with practitioners in Ghana, Brazil, the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic, perhaps adding stops in Mexico and Kenya.
Pomona College is one of 41 colleges and universities in the U.S. whose graduating seniors may apply for the fellowship. This year, a total of 37 Watson Fellows were selected. Each receives a $40,000 stipend to make it possible for them to pursue their interest in an original project outside the U.S. This year’s topics range from the healthcare experience of refugees to how bicycles can empower communities.
Rita Shaw, assistant director for community engagement at Pomona’s Draper Center for Community Partnerships, has observed Muhammad engaged in volunteer service. “I find Nadiya to be a rare gem,” she says. “Her optimism is contagious. Her determination is unstoppable. Her courage to go into uncharted spaces is remarkable.” Shaw believes that “Nadiya’s proposal to journey across the world, identifying best practices for the advocacy and improvement of health care for Black women is a perfect fit.”
Nina Karnovsky, Willard George Halstead Zoology Professor of Biology, is Pomona’s campus advisor for the Watson Fellowship. She calls it “absolutely the best faculty service assignment” because she gets to know passionate and interesting students who are applying for the fellowship. “I am beyond thrilled that Nadiya will be able to interact with and learn from the midwives and herbalists she has been corresponding with,” says Karnovsky. “Reading the profiles and projects of the awardees on the Watson Foundation website truly gives me hope for the world.”
A Holistic Perspective
Muhammad plans her first stay in Ghana, where she has been invited by a traditional midwife to join her on volunteer visits to rural villages. “I’m excited to get a more holistic perspective of the country,” says Muhammad, who hopes to see how experiences differ in rural and urban areas.
Moving on to Brazil, Muhammad will enroll in a language school to learn basic Portuguese. “The context of childbirth is so personal and intimate—you want to be able to form connections,” Muhammad says. Having some ability in the local language may make people feel more comfortable with her.
Muhammad credits a chemistry class on “African American Herbalism” with kindling her interest in traditional medicine. She attended Spelman College for spring semester last year as part of Pomona’s domestic study-away program. “I learned a lot about herbalism amongst the African diaspora, and African diaspora spiritualities,” she says. She also had the opportunity to shadow and apprentice with a doula. “It was an incredible and formative experience that deepened my interest in birth work,” she says. “That’s how part of my project came to life.”
“Adulting 101”
While Watson Fellows are free to adapt and change their projects as their year away progresses, they commit to staying abroad for the entire year. “For me, this will be like Adulting 101,” Muhammad remarks. She is a Chicago Posse Scholar and says, “This will be the first time that I’m out in the world on my own.” And “that’s the purpose of the Watson,” she remarks. “We’ve spent 17 years of our lives in a strict educational setting and then someone tells you, ‘Go explore the world for a year. Go do something that you’re passionate about.’”
Previous Watson Fellows have told Muhammad that the year was their most life-changing experience. She expects that truly immersing herself in different cultures will give her space to question what she believes, and why she believes it. “A lot of times, we’re quick to say something we’re not familiar with is wrong,” she says. “No, it’s just different.”
How her perspectives will change will only become known as the year goes on and she reflects on the experience, Muhammad believes. But one thing is for certain: “I’m just excited to become a more global citizen.”