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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Education / Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University (63581 Views)
Nigerian Sets Record, Scores 5.0 GPA In Russia.. / Nigerian Breaks Academic Record At John Hopkins University-punch Newspaper / Emmanuel Ohuabunwa 1st Blackman With 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University (2) (3) (4)
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Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:18pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Nigerian Breaks Academic Record At John Hopkins University A 22-year-old Nigerian has emerged one of the top graduating students of John Hopkins University in the United States. He obtained a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of a possible 4.0 to earn a degree in Neurosciences, SEGUN OLUGBILE writes. A 22-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, has made history at John Hopkins University, United States of America. Ohuabunwa from Arochukwu, Abia State, has done the nation proud by becoming the first black man to make a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of 4.0 to bag a degree in Neurosciences in the university. He was also adjudged as having the highest honours during the graduation that was held on May 24 this year. For his efforts, he has won a scholarship to Yale University to pursue a degree in medicine. Besides, he has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society, a prestigious honour group that features membership of 17 US Presidents, 37 US Supreme Court Justices, and 136 Nobel Prize winners. According to Wikipedia, The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honour society. Its mission is to “celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences” and induct “the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities.” It was founded at The College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776, and thus it is the oldest honour society for the liberal arts and sciences and among the oldest undergraduate societies in the US. In an online interview with our correspondent, Ohuabunwa, who was born in Okota, Lagos and attended Lilly Fields Primary School, Lagos, said he left Nigeria after his junior secondary school education at Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State. “My parents moved the whole family when I was 13 years old. I was about to begin SS1 at Air Force, Ibadan. When I got to the US, I was enrolled with my age mates, which meant at 13, I was in middle school. I went to Fondren Middle School, which was in the middle of the ghetto. That was one of the darkest years for me because I encountered a lot of peer pressure. Some of the students, ignorant about Africa, bullied me and called me names such as ‘African booty scratcher’ because to them, Africans were dirty and scratched their butts all the time. “Some asked me if I lived in mud huts and ate faeces for breakfast. I remember one day, when I was walking to the school bus, a boy came from behind and punched me in the face, called me an African and walked away. It took everything in me not to retaliate. I knew that God had put me in the U.S for a purpose and it did not involve fighting or selling drugs or doing the wrong things. “My experience during that year gave me a thick skin. I learned to stand for what I thought was right even when the opposition seemed insurmountable. I also learned to look at the positive in all situations. Even though these kids were bullying me, I was still gaining an opportunity to school in America and nothing would stop me from making the best of this opportunity. “The shocker was that the kid that punched me in the face was black. I would have expected the blacks to be nicer to me. Nevertheless, I don’t blame those kids because they were ignorant about Africa. All they knew about us was the stuff they had watched on TV or documentaries, showing primitive African tribes, living in the jungle and making noises like monkeys. “In regards to the whites, there might have been some minor episodes but again I don’t blame them for it because it is a problem with stereotypes,” he said. But in spite of this humiliation and racial prejudice against him, the first in a family of three was not discouraged. He faced his studies and was always coming top in his class. After he completed his middle school education, he passed the entrance examination to DeBakey High School for Health Professions. It was at this school that his interest in neurosciences and medicine started. “By the second year of high school, we were able to interact with doctors, nurses and other administrators in the hospital. The more I learned about medicine, the more it felt like the thing God was calling me to pursue and by being in the US I got a lot of people to support me to do this. Even though in high school, I got to see first-hand what it meant to be a doctor. We studied advanced anatomy and physiology, learned medical terminology, and learned important skills, such as checking blood pressure, pulse rate, and many more. “I knew I wanted to go to the best school in the US. I had heard that Johns Hopkins Hospital had been ranked the number one hospital in the US for the past 21 years and I wanted to be in that environment.’’ Worried that his parents might not be able to sponsor him to the university, Ohuabunwa purposed to work very hard. He did and when the result of the PSAT came, he performed so well that he won the National Achievement Scholar. By virtue of this award, he received certificates of recognition from various organisations including senators from the Congress of both Texas and the US. He also received scholarship from the University of Houston; Rice University, Texas A&M Honors College and many more. He had also won the Principal’s Award during the annual awards ceremony at DeBakey High School. “During our graduation ceremony at DeBakey, I also won the Award for the Most Outstanding Senior Young Man and the student volunteer award for my volunteer activities in the State of Texas,” he said. But his breakthrough came when he won the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation full scholarship to any university of his choice. He worked hard and gained admission to Johns Hopkins University to study Neurosciences. But why Neurosciences, Ohuabunwa said, “I studied Neuroscience, because I was fascinated with the brain, its control of our behaviours and how various diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, lead to a decline in its activity. I also minored in Psychology because I wanted to understand disorders in the psyche. What causes bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. I did not just want to label them as crazy but to understand what causes these conditions and how we can treat them,’’ he explained. But what does he consider to be the missing links in the education sector of Nigeria when compared with that on offer in US, Ohuabunwa said unpredictable academic calendar, corruption, examination malpractice and inadequate funding were some of the problems confronting his home country’s university sector. These, he said, were absent in the US. “There were a few problems with Nigerian higher education that contributed to our emigration in 2003. The first was the number of strikes that occurred in schools. It took my uncle seven years to graduate with a degree that should have taken him only four years. A second problem was the corruption. We had heard of people going into universities, because they paid someone to look the other way. I also heard of a few cheating scandals, where people would pay someone to take their exams for them or get a copy of the exam a few days before,” he said. But is he saying that US university system has no such problems at all? Ohuabunwa said, “Although this sometimes occurs in the U.S, it is less common because of the strict security. I remember when taking the Medical College Admissions Test, test required before one can matriculate into medical school, each student had to get his fingerprints taken every time we entered and left the hall. The whole place was packed with cameras and security staff that monitored everything we were doing. The exam was computerised to make sure that no one saw the test before the actual date.” Another difference, he said, is that America rewards hard-work while the system also emphasises on a balance between academic life and extracurricular activities. On how he won the scholarship to Yale, Ohuabunwa said his 3.98 GPA in Neurosciences, and many awards he had won and God’s grace, contributed to his winning the scholarship. “As at the time of my application for medical school, I had a 3.98 GPA of a 4.0. This made me the only black student inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa. I was also awarded the Becker Family Scholarship for being the most outstanding student in the Neuroscience major at Johns Hopkins University. Furthermore, by God’s grace, I took the MCAT and scored in the top five percentile. “That, combined with my hours of volunteer service in different hospitals across the US allowed me to gain acceptance into every medical school I applied to, including Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Cornell. As the time came to make a decision, I had narrowed it down to Harvard and Yale. Both schools, I enjoyed visiting. Nevertheless, while my parents prayed, they asked God to give us a sign of what school to attend. A few days later, I received a letter from Yale Medical School, offering me a full ride scholarship for all four years. That was the sign from God,” he said. But would he come back to Nigeria after the completion of his programme, he said yes. “I am absolutely interested in the health care policy decisions in Nigeria. Because there are many changes that need to occur, I will not rule out the possibility of coming back after my studies, in order to join hands with the leaders to make these changes possible.’’ He added that his ambition is to become a medical doctor specialising in brain surgery. “Two weeks ago, my grandmother passed away after a long battle with strokes. Even during emergencies, it was difficult for her to get to the hospital, let alone get treatment. This is a common theme not only in the health care system of Nigeria, but in different countries in the world, where the poor get neglected. “Second, Nigerian hospitals lack the infrastructure required to compete with major hospitals around the world. It would be an honour to one day contribute to this transformation that is necessary for improvements in Nigeria’s health care sector,” he said. He, however, advised Nigerian youths who have the wherewithal, to go abroad to study. Ohuabunwa also called on wealthy Nigerians to invest more in the education of the poor rather than in acquisition of material things. Ohuabunwa, however, said that his parents, who he described as his greatest role models, contributed a lot to his academic feat through Godly training, counsel and guidance. He also did not forget the impact that his short stay at Air Force school had on him. “I was definitely not the brightest at Air Force. At that time, I felt like I spent more time running away from seniors than focusing on my studies. Nevertheless, I learned three things at Air Force that have served me well in the US. I learned discipline, adaptability and resilience. These attributes helped me a lot in US,” he said. http://www.punchng.com/education/nigerian-breaks-academic-record-at-john-hopkins-university/ 292 Likes 28 Shares
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Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:19pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
and to think that we went to the same secondary school gives me joy..... ![]() 41 Likes 3 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by MuguliciousMUGU: 6:21pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
meccuno:U can lie eh ![]() 90 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by sohl7(m): 6:24pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Nice 1.Congrats man. 4 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by freshness2020: 6:25pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Nigerians doing it right since time immemorial!! Big ups brother! I love my kontri I no go lie! 19 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:34pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
MuguliciousMUGU:i went to afss na...why would i lie? 11 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:36pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
if we as africans shun tribalism and love one another,i dont see why these whites would be lording over us.....we have the same brain and we refuse to use it for our own benefit......... 60 Likes 8 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by politricks: 6:36pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Its this kind of news i want on frontpage not 'who wore it better' 321 Likes 17 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by brownlord: 6:37pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
If this was about fraud or drugs, CNN and their hypocritical BBC will be blabbing by now. Nice one bra, I belt my life those pink skin albinos that tried to bully and intimidate him will prolly be below 2.0 America fear God 121 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by 2cato: 6:37pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Abeg make them face front. Lie lie story. |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by 2cato: 6:38pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Abeg make them face front. Lie lie story just to oil the ego of some people. 3 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by Canme4u(m): 6:38pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Thats good. |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by kennyslim1(m): 6:39pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Thumbs up to the guy |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by Nobody: 6:41pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
He must be an igbo. 83 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:41pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
nairawallcom:who are u mr man?? ![]() 3 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by meccuno: 6:42pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
lets shame those outsiders that feel nothing good can come from Nigeria...... ![]() 12 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by kennyslim1(m): 6:43pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
2cato: You fit hug transformer if the news dey pain u...instead you'll just cheer the dude up, u r here with hateful words. Grow Up! 60 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by priscaoge(f): 6:48pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
[size=18pt]Congrats Dear! Keep flying that flag,Green White Green is the Colour! #Black&Proud! #Nigeria #Pacesetter Nigeria,setting the pace since time immemorial ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() [size=4pt]This is a homepage material Please [/size] 40 Likes 4 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by RockMaxi: 6:51pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Congrats Guy, keep making your Father land proud. The government and lecturers need to tell themselves the truth, education in Nigeria is in comatose. Imagine if this guy didn't have the opportunity to school abroad. ![]() One Nigeria.. ![]() .......Runs out of thread before tribal warlords takes over. ![]() 14 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by tinkinjow: 6:53pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Ehm....Please what qualified the 17 US presidents as members of the phi beta kini group. And I tot this guy just finished his degree so why the scholarship for degree in medicine at is it yale abi havard when we've been made to believe that John Hopkins is d best medical school. 7 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by itstpia1: 6:59pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
After he completed his middle school education, he passed the entrance examination to DeBakey High School for Health Professions. seriously, sometimes it seems like you have to jump through hoops to study medicine in america. not easy at all to get admission. a high school for health professions? ![]() good idea but lord have mercy, thats so young. 2 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by hazyfm: 7:00pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
[size=18pt]NIGERIANS ALWAYS DO WELL ABROAD, OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA WAS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS TO FAIL... SO MANY IRRELEVANT COURSES WHAT BUSINESS DOES AN ACCOUNTING STUDENT HAVE WITH BIOLOGY ?? 12 COURSES PER SEMESTER?? [/size] 102 Likes 9 Shares
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Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by CLASSICDUDE(m): 7:03pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Thank God a nigerian has made us proud,Right there in u.s, Every time you tune to c.nn and other foreign cable station,Is only negative things you will hear about Nigeria. thank God we' ve good news coming out of u.s concerning Nigeria , kudos bros" e no easy o", according to p square. 7 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by EddyNumerouno(m): 7:03pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Sweet 2 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by searay(m): 7:04pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
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Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by danaiks(m): 7:04pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
. |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by ayusco85(m): 7:04pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Looking at his eyes, u will know he read his eyes out. The Eyes are barely even opening up ![]() 13 Likes |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by richardjemedafe1(m): 7:04pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Tr |
Re: Emmanuel Ohuabunwa Earned 3.98 GPA At John Hopkins University by Nobody: 7:04pm On Oct 20, 2014 |
Ok |
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