DOVER — From Cameroon, West Africa, to Dover, Bayhealth Nursing Informatics Analyst Constance (Connie) Ajah-Ayang, MSN, RN, had a vision for her life, but found a new path in nursing. After immigrating from Africa to the U.S. almost 20 years ago, Ms. Ajah-Ayang found her passion in healthcare. Now she’s a part of a team that works hard to improve patient care, the patient experience, nursing workflows, and so much more with the use of technology.

And she’s doing it all while inspiring others. Ms. Ajah-Ayang’s story is part of a series of stories presented by Bayhealth called “Black Excellence that Inspires” that spotlights team members and is in celebration of Black History Month. A collection of these stories will be shared on Bayhealth’s social media pages.

Ms. Ajah-Ayang grew up in Africa in a family of nine. Her parents worked to keep the family grounded and made sacrifices to give their children the best possible education. She attended a Christian boarding school. She discovered a deep passion for studying law. It truly mattered to Ms. Ajah-Ayang to have an awareness of the climate in politics – she was hooked. She was inspired by a Cameroonian female Chief Justice, the highest rank in the Cameroonian court system, to become a lawyer. Ms. Ajah-Ayang completed a challenging program at a French-speaking university where she learned in both English and French.

When Ms. Ajah-Ayang set her sights on moving to the U.S., she had mentors who guided her into the nursing profession as it is a “strong and stable career choice,” she said. Ms. Ajah-Ayang embraced the new adventure with a positive outlook. She says her late father lived by the mantra, “Whatever you do in life, what truly matters is that you do it well.”

Ms. Ajah-Ayang recalls the early years in her healthcare career. “My experiences brought out a humanity from within that I didn’t realize I had,” she said.

And after a particularly impactful experience with a patient, Ms. Ajah-Ayang knew from that moment on that it was a passion and a responsibility to care for patients. “I have to take care of patients by treating them like family,” she said.

She’s intentional about how she impacts people’s lives. “Any interaction I have with someone, I aim to uplift them in some way.” And her passion for people extends beyond Bayhealth’s walls. Ms. Ajah-Ayang is an active member of the Caregivers Support Foundation providing family caregivers support and tools to care for and advocate for their loved ones.

Inspiring others drives Ms. Ajah-Ayang. She wants to inspire joyfulness, passion and excellence in others – especially in her beloved peers and patients. “Being excellent doesn’t take perfection,” she said. After all, no one is perfect. “Excellence is doing the right thing, owning our mistakes, and making sure we learn from them and learn from each other.”

Bayhealth is proud to honor and share Ms. Ajah-Ayang’s story during Black History Month. Visit online to be a part of a team who respects and values everyone on the team.