Being black means you have to work harder – Ohuabunwa

JANUARY 20, 2015 BY CHARLES ABAH 1 COMMENT

   

 

 

Emmanuel Ohuabunwa

Award-winning Nigerian student at the Yale University, Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, speaks on his experience at the instituton, CHARLES ABAH writes

When Emmanuel Ohuabunwa earned a scholarship to study Medicine at the prestigious Yale University in the U.S., the people watching him thought that pursuing the degree course would be as easy as ABC for the youngster.

Of course, they had their reasons for holding this view. Ohuabunwa in 2012 had emerged the first black man to make a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of 4.0 to bag a degree in Neurosciences at the Johns Hopkins University, also in the U.S. He also obtained the highest honour during the graduation that year.

For his academic accomplishments, Ohuabunwa, then 22-year-old, became an automatic member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, an academic group that has so far celebrated no fewer than 17 American Presidents, 37 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and 136 Nobel Prize winners.

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But the young man who wears the shoe knows where it pinches. In an online interaction with our correspondent, the 24-year-old, who was in Nigeria last December, says that studying at the prestigious Yale university has its own peculiar challenges.

According to him, the medical school schedule has been demanding and having to balance that with other extra curricular obligations make things more daunting.

Besides, he notes that there are social challenges blacks face not just in America but also in its higher institutions of learning.

He says, “Socially, if one has paid attention to the news from America, one would have heard about the Ferguson protests and many others, which relate to the way police stereotype blacks, leading them to use deadly force when confronting black suspects.

“These stereotypes are also pervasive in institutions of higher learning, where, being a black man, you always have to prove yourself. People implicitly make assumptions about you from the way you look and therefore treat you differently. I still experience these from time to time but I have learned to see them as part of the journey. I see them as training for the great things God will use me to accomplish in the future.”

Noting however that the university is an elite academic centre of excellence, Ohuabunwa adds that it admits and celebrates only the best.

The youngster, who last summer, won the prestigious Wilbur Downs Fellowship to study Electronic Medical Record Systems at a trauma centre in South Africa, insists that the university makes one’s dream a reality.

He adds, “I have also been humbled by the calibre of people I come in contact with everyday. As you know, Yale is a very elite school. You walk around and see pictures of younger, more athletic versions of George Bush junior, Bush senior and Bill Clinton during their days as students.

“You attend classes with children of former presidents and Supreme Court justices and many times want to pinch yourself to snap out of this dreamland. In school, you are around people who have done amazing things.

“In the medical school, for example, we have a former Olympic gymnast, someone who played professional basketball before medical school, a former Olympic track star, the first female black belt from her country and many others who have achieved excellence all through their lives. “These students bring unique experiences and perspectives that allow me to gain a much broader understanding of medicine. It is very humbling to work with and learn from them.

“At Yale, things are a little different. Instead of a regimented schedule, one faces a million different resources and the freedom to find his/her specific path in life. The world is literally at your fingertips. As long as you can make a strong case about your cause, there will be sponsorship for you to make it a reality. Because I was used to focusing on one thing and achieving it, the breadth of options initially was overwhelming. I have slowly found my niche.”

The Arochukwu, Abia State-born, who was in Nigeria last December for a brief vacation, also speaks on his desire to see a Nigeria developing to its fullest in all spheres of life.

He explains, “I want to be at the forefront of fostering a reverse brain drain movement. Students who have been fortunate to get out of the country to study should bring their expertise back to their land. Nigeria is a virgin land with many areas seeking development. In the area of health care, there is much one can do. I shall reveal my plans in the area as the time comes. In the meantime, I am acquiring the skills required to make these plans a reality.”

Advising Nigerian youths, the potential medic urges them to keep to the virtue of hard work. According to him, Nigerians have an innate ability to thrive, regardless of their circumstances.

The youngster, who left Nigeria after his junior secondary school education at the Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State, when he was 13 years old, says, “You go to school where there are a limited number of textbooks; therefore, one must master the material after reading only once. When there is no guarantee of electricity, one must learn to study through the night using the light from a candle.

“Since I like to see the positive in every situation, I see these obstacles as preparation for the great things God has in store for me. I think it will be beneficial for my fellow youths to continue to tap into this innate work ethic. Continue to impress people with it, even when things are hard, while avoiding crooked means to succeed.”

A recipient of the African Diaspora Scholar of the Year award, Ohuabunwa says he has been involved with different organisations targeted at improving the exposure of women in underserved areas to careers in health, science and technology.

However, is there any special woman in your life currently? To this, he says no.

He adds, “I know at the right time the right woman will come. The focus now is on my education and therefore has not had as much time to date. The perfect woman would be beautiful inside and out and successful in her own right because in order to maintain success, we must surround ourselves with successful people.”

source:PUNCH