Another Nigerian Teen Uwamanzu-Nna Accepted To All Eight Ivy League Universities in USA - African Events .com
Another Nigerian Teen Uwamanzu-Nna Accepted To All Eight Ivy League Universities in USA
Another Nigerian Teen Uwamanzu-Nna Accepted To All Eight Ivy League Universities in USA
Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna of Elmont Memorial High School in Long Island New York received acceptances from all the 12 colleges she applied to including the prized eight Ivy League universities, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Brown, Cornell, and Dartmouth. Also, she received acceptances from elite universities, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Uwamanzu-Nna expressed how “surreal” the experience is, saying, “I am humbled by all of the college acceptance letters that I recently received. I am reminded that I have a responsibility to be a role model for others and use my experiences to encourage and inspire others, especially young women.” Augusta spoke to local CNN affiliate WABC, “I think the main thing that has shaped me into the individual I am now is just tenacity and persistence.”
Uwamanzu-Nna credits her family and her teachers for her academic success. August acknowledged, “My parents have always taught me the value of hard work, and I am very thankful for that. My teachers at Elmont Memorial have also played a major role in my development. Elmont Memorial is a very special place, where teachers start their days at 7 a.m. and leave very late in the evening. It is a school where teachers love children and are dedicated to academic achievement.”
Augusta expressed, “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.” Uwamanzu-Nna admitted she has not always excelled, but learned from the experiences, “I’ve struggled with numerous classes in the past. But I guess what allowed me to be successful, ultimately, in those classes, at the end, is my persistence and my tenacity.”
Uwamanzu-Nna has a stellar CV to her credit with a 101.64-weighted GPA. She was a 2016 Intel Science Talent Search finalist for her “research on cement that could help prevent underwater oil rigs from rupturing.” Augusta’s research was so impressive that Uwamanzu-Nna received on Monday an invite to the White House Science Fair.
Her research advisor Michelle Flannory praised her student, saying, “She knows that you have to work. Is she naturally talented? Yes, but she definitely pursues excellence.”Augusta plans to pursue a science major combining her twin interests in biochemistry and environmental studies.
Uwamanzu-Nna is the child of Nigerian immigrants, “Though I was born here in America, I 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.” She says her parents “instilled in her self-confidence, humility and a respect for education,” all the tools to succeed.
Kevin Dougherty, Elmont Memorial High School principal, commented on the honor for the school. Dougherty said, “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.”
In 2015, Harold Ekeh, another senior at Elmont Memorial High School in Long Island, New York logged onto his computer and discovered he had been accepted to all 13 universities he applied to including the Ivies. He was also accepted to Johns Hopkins, NYU, MIT, Vanderbilt, and SUNY Stony Brook universities. Ekeh was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States with his family when he was eight. In the end, he decided to accept Yale’s offer and is now a student there.
In 2014, another Long Island, New York High School senior Kwasi Enin, at 17 became the first to be accepted to all the Ivy League universities. The William Floyd high school graduate ended up going to Yale. Despite falling acceptance rates among the Ivies, reaching record lows for the Class of 2020, the unusual feat of being accepted to all the schools is becoming a more common occurrence.
An African Events republication
Leave a Comment