Life Journey Of A First Generation Nigerian American

When my mother immigrated to America from Mexico, she had only her family and hope. Hope for a better life; in the US, she was offered the world, and she snatched it within seconds. Unbeknownst to her, their promises were as empty as her pockets. They stole from her, they ruined her, and they tried to build a wall not only between her country and theirs but between her and her family.

My grandfather plays a major role in that decision and so does the Hospice nurse that helped care for him. I want to be that nurse that little girls or boys go to when they need answers as to why their mother or father is sick and that they seek comfort in my answers. I want to be that nurse that tells a patient that everything is going to be okay or that they have nothing to worry about. I want to be that nurse that when I go home from working with patients and talking to families that I can’t help but eagerly wait till the next day just to do it all over again. I want to be able to help families understand why their loved one is sick, or be able to see the relief on their faces when I tell them that they are perfectly fine. I want to be that nurse that can help a person understand that they can rely on me and know that I will do anything and everything to help them get better because it’s what I love to do and it’s what I’m meant to do. I want to be a nurse not only in honor for my grandfather but for myself because I can’t see myself doing anything else other than helping

Although my transition was rough, in my sophomore and junior years of college, I thought that I wouldn 't be able to continue, but I have, and I am doing great. Pushing through struggles, making sacrifices, and staying focused on my goals has helped me to gain persistence and see the bigger picture. My adversities made me stronger as a person to reach for things that I never thought were possible. I have exceeded not only the limited expectations placed

Where are you from? It is a simple question yet; it is difficult to answer as an immigrant who has lived in multiple places. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria. A few years after my birth, my dad's job required my family to move to the United States. My family first "settled" down in Walnut Creek, California; however, less than a year later, we moved down to Houston where just like in California, we lived for less than a year before being catapulted to the beautiful yet cold country to the north of the border: Canada. After living in so many places and being exposed to many different societies, I never found a culture that I fully identified with. Instead, I now identify as not only a first generation Nigerian immigrant but also as a global citizen.

Coming to the United States was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was born in Dagahaley, Kenya where I lived for fourteen years. My family and I had to go through a lot to get to the United States. Most people wanted to come to the United States because life is better here then it is there. You have to be lucky to get picked and we were fortunate to be able to move to the United States. After you get picked you have to go through multiple tests over the course of about eight to nine months. If you pass the test you get to go, but if you do not than you had to stay back in Africa and would not have another chance. When I first heard we were going to America I was so excited and everything, but then it hit me and thought about it what

My family and I in 2008 moved from Trinidad and Tobago to America. We were all so excited to move to a new country. We heard about all the fun experiences and great opportunities that America had to offer. I must admit that I had mixed emotions about moving to a new country. On one hand, I was exactly happy because I was going to have an opportunity to go college and presume my dream of being a childhood teacher or child psychologist. On the other hand, I was sad because I was leaving all my Tobago friends and family

As soon as I stepped into school of junior year the only words I heard were college and SAT. After my first meeting with college guidance I began questioning my success. My average was about a 70 and that was not getting me into college. For the past two years I was focusing on clubs and commissions and now my grades began to hit me. I knew I had to get to work as soon as possible. I began by putting more time and effort into my schoolwork and putting a break on my commissions, school was my new focus. After my long and tiring 10 hour days of school I would only come back to study for more hours till I felt I knew my stuff at the top of my head. I began to appreciate learning new things and being a studios student. I began to connect to some of my classes and grew a passion for them advanced studio art, nutrition, and English. I became confident with my school work and was able to join new commissions and balance my school work with my commissions. Choices commission was my favorite,helping my peers make the right choices in their lives. It was the same in senior year I was taking Ap psychology and it wasn't the easiest class but it was something I enjoyed and I loved being challenged by some of it. After fall semester of senior year my average was an 83.286 about 15 points higher than my fall semester in freshmen year which was a 68.17. I was thrilled, I felt accomplished, this was a new peak of success for

Many people think that doctors are stuck up and only care about themselves but I do not think that is true. Everyday, doctors come into work to save someone else's life and that is not selfish by far. If someone is in need of help and there are no doctors around except for myself, I would be able to help them because I have experience. I would also appreciate life more because I would know how it feels like to be in a life or death situation and how devastating it could be. One day someone could be doing just fine, then the next day they could be laying on their deathbed with only a few days to live. Being a neonatal physician, I would learn many things about medicine and how to treat others. Overall accomplishing my goal, I would become a better

My time in undergrad served as a challenging, engaging, eye-opening, and an ultimately unforgettable experience. Being culturally inclined, I joined and became president of Purdue’s only multicultural sorority, Lambda Phi Xi. My need for service excellence in the community led me to become an event coordinator for Tippecanoe Villa, a resident home for elderly and disabled individuals. While I was highly engaged in my social and leadership opportunities, my studies proved to be a different matter entirely. Imagine, for a moment, losing your biggest supporter in life. Imagine being the only person you have ever known to attend college. Then, imagine having a scholarship that only provided you with eight consecutive semesters to graduate with no chance to take time off to find your

The end of my Sophomore year was the worst time of my entire life and the main cause of my beliefs and ideas of myself. Depression hit me hard and fast like being in the two minute and twelve-second knockout boxing match with Muhammad Ali, but gratefully received help from my family, school, and a special someone. It played a massive role in my effectiveness in school work and social life, but that became the start of what I would call a blessing. Motivation and ambition came quickly after the second semester after months of pressure and love from others who I am proud to call family and friends.

When people hear of the name Emmanuel Idowu; music, and sports come to mind. Without these qualities, I might be unrecognizable. From my youth, sports has been one of my hobbies. Growing up in Nigeria, a country where soccer is the national sport, that was the sport I played. When relocating to the United States of America, soccer was still the sport of my heart. I grew up wanting to become a professional, only realizing the difficulty it takes especially in the USA. Ultimately resulting in me to shift toward a sport that would give me a better chance of becoming a professional; track and field. One thing about sports for me is that they release me of any bad mood I’m in. Whenever I’m down, soccer has been the sport to bring me up due to

Growing up I lived in a home different from my friends. My parents immigrated from Ivory Coast to the United States in the late 1980s without speaking any English. At home we would speak French and eat traditional African food. This was much different from my friends, who for the most part, had families who lived in America for centuries. My parents found solace in the healthcare system, they learned English and continuously work to make a better life for my brothers and I, and I know that being apart of a union where their working rights are protected is a large part of this. Like other students, in elementary school I learned about labor issues and the labor movement that occurred in the early 19th century. After these strikes new laws were

In 2006, my whole family emigrated from Nigeria. Without a work permit, my parents could not get a job, so suffered financial hardships for a long period. I had many complications during my transition, and had to repeat the 9th grade because my transcript arrived late from Nigeria. High school was very tough. I was constantly bullied for having an African accent. The bullying caused me to be ashamed of my identity, and to hide it whenever possible. I also experience several difficulties in college, the overwhelming stress of trying to navigate college without any guidance. My struggles were very similar to that of a first generation college student, although my mother went to college in Nigeria. My parents couldn't offer advice because they

Every situation can be viewed in multiple ways by different individuals. Growing up, I would describe my development as struggle, positivity, and purposeful. The road to the college life was a personal struggle. I actually didn’t want to go because I didn’t think there was anything there for me to achieve. I was convinced that I wouldn’t even excel due to upbringings and circumstances. Eventually, I decided to commit and attend University because I just wanted something to do during my time. I developed positivity, resources, and character through my college journey. I look at this journey as a developing and purposeful time in my transition to adulthood. These four years in college can be seen as a movie for some individuals. Similarly,

In order for me to talk about my undergraduate experience, I first need to tell you of my path getting there. Growing up in a home with a recidivist father and a mother that struggled with drug addiction, in an environment rife with crime, where poverty was ubiquitous, and despair was omnipresent is better imagined than experienced. Yet, my parents were the most encouraging people I have ever known. In retrospect, their words of encouragement barely hit their mark for obvious psychological reasons known as cognitive dissonance. How was I supposed to be successful in the pursuit of my dreams in an environment where nobody was successful in the pursuit of theirs?