coolzeal: Congratulation man, you're truly a son of the soil and mama Africa call you home. He says he will come back home but am not sure they will allow him to come back to Naija ooh.. Those white people will not allow him when they know how indispensable he is. Another stolen brain..

LOL- i seriously don't know where you guys get the idea from. Most of the time they don't want to come back. There are better opportunities abroad for them, there isn't much incentive to go back home. Thats the reason Africa is suffering from Brain Drain. It's not this 'whites will not allow him' nonsense i keep hearing here jare.

moremi2008: Congratulations to the guy but I am not sure this is particularly worthy of an entire news article! I graduated with a 3.95 and was the only black kid inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in my graduating class. I didn't publish any of this in the news! Neither did any of the white kids who also graduated Phi Beta Kappa and went on to very prestigious graduate schools. We Nigerians need to just chill-out! Good grades + top graduate schools should be a matter-of-course, not an accomplishment worthy of breaking news!

Another moronic cyberspace claim.

Alumnus:

There is great possibility that he didn't even read the entire article but judged from the title.

african booty scratcher... lol

Alumnus:

There is great possibility that he didn't even read the entire article but judged from the title.

african booty scratcher... lol

queensmith:

LOL- i seriously don't know where you guys get the idea from. Most of the time they don't want to come back. There are better opportunities abroad for them, there isn't much incentive to go back home. Thats the reason Africa is suffering from Brain Drain. It's not this 'whites will not allow him' nonsense i keep hearing here jare.

Well you know how they stole Philip Emeagwali and also a 15yrs old girl Saheela Ibraheem in Harvard studying now after being accepted by 13 prominent university in the USA. This are just few from the many that will not return to their country. Damn! I've to agree with you and we have lot of genius in Nigeria and our govt are just too stupid to think...

saxywale:


Is it not right that they tell the truth about the difficulties they experience? The truth is that racism still exist in academics, sport, corporate world e.t.c and people of color have to work sometimes as twice as hard as their white peers to gain recognition.

Everybody goes through difficulties in Life. It does not help the young black generation if the present successful blacks always go with the phrases "i was discriminated against". There are other difficulties people go through in Life. but people prefer to say the ones that make them heard and it affects the young generations. Ask most young drug dealers why they got into gangs and crime. They will say the system let them down. The system never let them down. I dont belive the system failed most of this kids. Their parents did and the media who keep showing them a few successful black men with stories that they were discriminated against through to success.

You see, the guys has done Nigeria a great honor. But you see what delights me most, the guy has no link whatsoever to any of the idiots and wicked souls that steal our country resources and make our own educational system to be what it is today.

Despite all the money they have stolen, their children cant do this well, they only come out with average grades and then continue to squander money like their parents. they should be ashamed of themselves.

gulfer: A 22-year-old Nigerian has emerged the best graduating student 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.

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/

Phi Beta-Kappa na him be the prestigious renowned Illuminati and not the thuggish ones most entertainers portray .

Beta Phi Kappa na the real Illuminati ,Congratul*tions boy,your hardwork has paid off.
Your life will never remain the same again.

Welldone boy. Wish you are Nigerian president at this moment. Congrats

2good:

3.98 out of possible 4.0 not out of 5.
Try and read properly next time before making a comment.
Kudos to the Nigerian kid. I am really proud of him.

@ slimming, this is exactly why u cant pass your exams, your inability to pay attention to details. you can read but u dont understand jack. SMH. Stop hating and leave the boy alone. Did u make the 4.5 that ur talking about here.

May God help u boy and turn our society around

slimming: so 3.9 GPA is a celebration in that university? when lots of people are making 4.5+ in Nigeria without international recognition.

dude for you and the person that liked your status ignorance is bliss for both of you.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln

Thumbs up for Emmanuel for doing himself well and making us proud by utilizing the opportunity that came his way, however my concern is that there are a lot of kids outta here in the Nigerian Space that has got commensurate skills and potentials but whose stories could possibly never be heard not because they aren't good but the system would not create nor support true learning and development.
Same dysfunctional system would lobby to have dis guy come back home after been baked by another state that pays attention to fundamentals - how possible? This guy's allegiance would be more to the US that made him who he eventually becomes.

Jongrac: Thumbs up for Emmanuel for doing himself well and making us proud by utilizing the opportunity that came his way, however my concern is that there are a lot of kids outta here in the Nigerian Space that has got commensurate skills and potentials but whose stories could possibly never be heard not because they aren't good but the system would not create nor support true learning and development.
Same dysfunctional system would lobby to have dis guy come back home after been baked by another state that pays attention to fundamentals - how possible? This guy's allegiance would be more to the US that made him who he eventually becomes.

If Nigerians wanted to change and improve the system, they would not have voted for Retardeen Jonathan.

@2good
thanks for pointing me to the rankings which i also saw or myself yesterday but did you see Johns Hopkins in the ranking. Its not there and this is because its the best hospital in the USA and i daresay the world and like i said its the number in training of mdical doctors and allied sciences. It has produced more noble laureates than any institution in the same class world wide but that is beside the point. it was an aside. The point i made are two folds- that i couldnt find an independent source for the emmenuel story outside NIgerian bloggers and that if its medicine, Yale does not rank higher than Johns Hopkins in the training of medical doctors.

inene: @2good
thanks for pointing me to the rankings which i also saw or myself yesterday but did you see Johns Hopkins in the ranking. Its not there and this is because its the best hospital in the USA and i daresay the world and like i said its the number in training of mdical doctors and allied sciences. It has produced more noble laureates than any institution in the same class world wide but that is beside the point. it was an aside. The point i made are two folds- that i couldnt find an independent source for the emmenuel story outside NIgerian bloggers and that if its medicine, Yale does not rank higher than Johns Hopkins in the training of medical doctors.

I quite agree on the medical ranking but sometimes it takes more than just the ranking when making a decision. Harvard, Yale,or Princeton on your CV no matter what you have studied, already open alot of doors and opportunity for you in this world. It is even more difficult sometimes to get into these Ivy League universities to study programmes where these schools are not ranked as number 1 than getting into thesame porgram in other universities where that program is ranked as number 1.

He went to Yale prolly because of the new environment and full money. Yale is really good for medicine too although not as elite as johns hopkins.

Guy got close to a 4.00 in a university that is top for its field in the world. Guy prolly spent 24/7 in the library while you guys were smoking weed. People are talking about their rubbish 4.5 from unilag. Nairaland cracks me up sha

I haven't found an independence source yet either. I don't think he got a 3.98 what happened is he got a 3.98 in his major (neuroscience) and his overall GPA was less but sufficient to place him in Phi Beta Kappa (top 10 percent) in the whole university. If he had a full 3.98 he will be valedictorian of his class. I just don't trust nigerian newspapers they have the tendency to overreport

This is al theory

SEFAGO: I haven't found an independence source yet either. I don't think he got a 3.98 what happened is he got a 3.98 in his major (neuroscience) and his overall GPA was less but sufficient to place him in Phi Beta Kappa (top 10 percent) in the whole university. If he had a full 3.98 he will be valedictorian of his class. I just don't trust nigerian newspapers they have the tendency to overreport

This is al theory

so is it a major thing all together or just major for a black person?

so is it a major thing all together or just major for a black person?

Phi Beta Kappa is a very big deal. Also well depends is it impressive hell yeah from Johns Hopkins a very academic and work-heavy school (So I hear anyways), for a black student even more so because its extremely rare for black students to be in Phi Beta Kappa even in sociology. The large majority of black students immediately they land a top US university study the social sciences even if they wanna be doctors. Even Nigerian-Americans who do decently well relative to their AA counterparts.


I used to be involved in organizing the Phi Beta Kappa ceremony for my undergrad a long time ago and each year maybe one black student-2 black students out of like 150 student, tons of Asians though

Seems I am wrong and he graduated top of his University.

YES,Its a very major madame queensmith . I think he is the first black person to graduate valedictorian at a top US university.

Sagamite:

If anything is speaking to you in your head, believe me it is not God, it is what is called schizophrenia.

I am not saying you should not believe in divine intervention, but TRUST ME God does not speak to you. That is nonsense!

sweetheart, y should i TRUST YOU that God doesn't speak to me? re u God? or His Brother? Dear, Jesus Christ Fills Everything Everywhere! God Speaks to me and all His Children that re willing to hear from Him. I don't need to trust u or anyone else on this because i TRUST HIM! splendid night rest.

Dhelake: slimming: so 3.9 GPA is a
celebration in that university?
when lots of people are
making 4.5+ in Nigeria without
international recognition.

The type we get that we can't defend abi? The type we get when we sort out things with lecturers? Mtcheww!

Dayco: The type we get that we can't defend abi? The type we get when we sort out things with lecturers? Mtcheww!

This is a very wrong comment. There is no Nigerian with a 4.5 GPA that is not smart irrespective of the university they attend be it state, federal or private university. We need to start respecting ourselves as blacks for us to progress. The personal beef among blacks is just too much. These same 4.5 people go abroad and do very well.

slimming: so 3.9 GPA is a celebration in that university? when lots of people are making 4.5+ in Nigeria without international recognition.

SEE what ignorance does? for your infomation the total CGPA is 4.0 so a 3.9 is a hero whether ur sorry ass likes it or not.

SEFAGO:

Phi Beta Kappa is a very big deal. Also well depends is it impressive hell yeah from Johns Hopkins a very academic and work-heavy school (So I hear anyways), for a black student even more so because its extremely rare for black students to be in Phi Beta Kappa even in sociology. The large majority of black students immediately they land a top US university study the social sciences even if they wanna be doctors. Even Nigerian-Americans who do decently well relative to their AA counterparts.


I used to be involved in organizing the Phi Beta Kappa ceremony for my undergrad a long time ago and each year maybe one black student-2 black students out of like 150 student, tons of Asians though

Member?

Good News for any Job Seeker out there, Johns Hopkins University is offering Job opportunity here in Nigeria, you can google it to know more, Saw it on Jobzilla.ng or check http://www.employnaija.com.ng/johns-hopkins-university-jobs-career-opportunities-johns-hopkins-university/