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DEE’S STORY
From Penka-Michel to Danvers:
Learning & Leading All Along The Way
Willing To Go The Distance
Dr. Djoko was born in a small rural village named Penka-Michel, Cameroon, Central Africa, where he couldn't access running water and electricity. Just like here in Danvers, farming was once the primary occupation of most families in the town, and the children were encouraged to follow in their parents’ footsteps. However, believing in the power of education, his parents insisted that he stay in school. Young “Dee” woke up every day at about 5am to walk the five mile journey with other students from his town to a missionary school. Another two hours was spent walking home again in the afternoon.
Rebecca Kounga, Dr. Djoko’s mother and a 13 year Danvers resident signs her son’s nomination papers for Select Board.
Resilient & Resourceful
The scarcity of educational resources and having supper as the day's only meal made learning quite tricky. Despite the various challenges, he pressed on completing his studies, and passing the national exam to mark his high school graduation. He learned the value of hard work, time management. While maintaining an excellent academic record, he balanced his school activities, farming work, and family obligations.
Combining Head & Heart To Care For The Community
After graduating high school, Dr. Djoko continued his studies at the University of Dschang, earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in Biological Sciences. He witnessed many of his friends and families die of preventable diseases due to a lack of health care services. He decided to investigate the prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP) in his community. He studied the use of medicinal plants to treat HBP in this remote village where modern medicine was not readily available. He went on to publish two academic papers on this subject.
A Fresh Start On A Firm Foundation
Dr. Djoko relocated to Boston in 1998 and successively lived in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, and Danvers. After studying French all his life, he had to learn English to further his education. He started as a cook at a fast-food restaurant, then later became an overnight security officer while going to school in the daytime. He became a certified Massachusetts soccer referee as a former college soccer player. On weekends, he officiated youth and semi-professional games to help support his education. Despite his hectic schedule, Dr. Djoko found the time to volunteer as a research assistant in the neurosurgery department at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he helped investigate new anti-coagulant medicine in stroke models. In the meantime, he improved his English and obtained a Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He was a student teacher at Dorchester High School during the 1999 - 2000 school year and was a full-time math teacher at Lexington High School from 2000-2003.
Always Ready To Learn & Lead
With his core belief in the power of education ingrained in him by his parents, Dr. Djoko returned to school and earned his doctorate in Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University in 2004. Dr. Djoko worked simultaneously as a retail and clinical hospital pharmacist for over a decade. He now works as an Associate Director and Medical Reviewer for a pharmaceutical company. In his current role, he oversees the review of promotional and medical materials for scientific/medical validity across his company’s portfolio. He remains widely recognized for his contributions to the community as a mentor for the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP) and a skilled and dedicated pharmacist.
Translating Professional Experience Into Public Service
Dr. Djoko has earned accolades for his civic leadership, especially for his commitment to educating the public about medication adverse events and the potential risks of prescription drug abuse. He has focused on halting the rise of opioid addiction by spearheading programs reaching more than 1,500 high school students across the state. Dr. Djoko serves as an advisory board member for Recovery Centers for America. He is a trustee for Salem Hospital and a Quality and Professional Affairs Committee member. He also serves on the Mass General Brigham & Women and Salem Hospital committee on Community Health, Workforce, and Patient Equity and on the Scientific Board of STEMpower. In 2022, Dr. Djoko returned to his native country, Cameroon, for the grand opening and inauguration of the first STEM Center in Central Africa at the University of Dschang, his alma mater.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Djoko personally donated and delivered thermometers to the Danvers Senior Center when the public health nursing staff ran short on supplies.