- Two Nigerian youths accepted to study at all eight Ivy League varsities in the U.S.
It is good for Nigeria’s image that, for the second consecutive year, a Nigerian-born high school student has been accepted to study at all of the eight Ivy League universities in the United States. Coming after Harold Ekeh’s feat last year, Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna’s repeat of the feat this year speaks volumes for the capability of the country’s young minds when the environment is right. It is noteworthy that Ekeh was born in Nigeria and arrived in the United States when he was eight, while Uwamanzu-Nna is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants.
Remarkably, the two academic stars were products of Elmont Memorial High School (EMHS) in New York. Spoilt for choice, Ekeh eventually chose to attend Yale University. He was the Long Island high school’s salutatorian. Uwamanzu-Nna, who was Elmont’s valedictorian, is similarly spoilt for choice and will have to choose from the eight highly rated universities.
No doubt, their high school deserves kudos for providing an enabling environment that helped them achieve news-making academic distinction. The school’s principal, Kevin Dougherty, was quoted as saying: “Having two students get accepted into all eight Ivy League institutions in back-to-back years is humbling but also speaks to the incredible commitment to children by the families and staff within the EMHS Community.”
Uwamanzu-Nna’s acceptance by four other universities to which she applied makes her story even more attention-grabbing, and she understandably described the experience as “surreal”. She said: “My recent accomplishments reflect the hardworking ideals of the town of Elmont, my supportive parents and my dedicated teachers. I am elated, but most importantly, I am thankful.”
There is a lesson for Nigerian youths in her dramatic success story. She attributed her 101.64 GPA to hard work, saying, “I’ve struggled with numerous classes in the past…But I guess what allowed me to be successful… is my persistence and my tenacity.” Her performance and her words make her an inspirational figure and a positive example.
Uwamanzu-Nna’s ambition to pursue a science-related major should stimulate girls in a country like Nigeria which faces considerable challenges concerning girl-child education. It is expected that her choice of university would likely be influenced by whether her varied scientific interests, which include biochemistry and environmental studies, could be better advanced at a particular school.
Her brilliance shows promise, and it is interesting that her research work as a teenager holds some promise for Nigeria. It is relevant to note that Uwamanzu-Nna was a finalist in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search for her research on cement that could help prevent underwater oil rigs from rupturing. Nigeria’s oil sector may well be a future beneficiary of her research efforts. It is a testimony to the value of her work that she received an invitation to the White House Science Fair.
Her patriotic spirit, significant for her age, is a reason to be optimistic about Nigeria’s future. She said: “Though I was born here in America, I have visited Nigeria many times. And I’ve seen that my cousins don’t have the same opportunities that I have. So definitely, whatever I do, I want to make sure that it has an impact on Nigeria.” It is heart-warming to see that Uwamanzu-Nna remains a Nigerian at heart, despite her Westernisation.
The essential message that it is important to think of what one can do for one’s country strongly recommends itself, especially at this juncture when Nigeria and Nigerians are going through a period of political change that is expected to promote greater patriotism and stronger commitment to the country’s development.
Nigeria should not only recognise but also internalise the ultimate import of Uwamanzu-Nna’s impressive progress, which is that human potential requires constructive socio-economic conditions for actualisation.
