As a boy growing up in a small rural community, in west Texas, there's an unspoken understanding you would play sports. I was a tall boy and tall teenager so it was also assumed I would play basketball. Being a boy and young man in a small country school who wanted nothing to do with football, basketball, or baseball left me open to some peer pressure. I was told the only way to fit in, to make friends, would be to join in sports.
The thing is, around the age of six, my mom took me to see a local community musical: Seussical the Musical, based on the children's books by Dr. Seuss. Watching the performance, the upbeat music, the bright colors and costumes, and the high-energy dancing captivated me. This is what I wanted to do! I needed to be on that stage!
I began auditioning and performing in several musicals a year starting around the age of seven. At age 11, I was an ensemble character in a local production of Mary Poppins. At that time I had no real dance experience, so I couldn't perform in the big "Step in Time" number. I talked to my parents and the following week I was enrolled in all the dance classes, ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop.
Being a boy dancer, who excelled at ballet and who loved all things musical theater, left me open to some ridicule, a little bit of bullying, and just being left out. The bullying in 8th grade almost made me quit everything, school, dance, and theater. I was tired of being picked on, bopped in the head with water bottles, teased and mocked, and straws and pencils were thrown at me. When my mom picked me up from school, I would get in the car crying. There was talk of homeschooling. I considered trying organized sports to fit in, I even considered giving up my passion. I had never quit anything! Dancing and theater were my escape! I prayed for it to stop. My parents prayed with me for strength, courage, compassion, and forgiveness for these few bullies. After several weeks of this, my mom had a conversation with my then-middle school counselor and the counselor talked with the boys, she also had a private discussion with me about speaking up, not suffering in silence. Almost overnight the bullying stopped. I still wasn't invited to hang out, I wasn't invited to sleepovers or the movies. But I wasn't being picked on anymore, and that was enough for me. I had dance and musical theater.
By the time high school came around, I knew, that no matter what, no matter the teasing — even light-hearted teasing — no matter the stereotyping, I would dance and perform for the rest of my life. I am going to college to get the training and education to be the best-performing artist I can be. After college, I hope to tour as a performer and dancer nationally as well as internationally.
Making performing arts and dance more accessible to my rural community is very important to me. After the training, continuing education, and experience, my hope is to one day come back home to open a dance and performing arts studio and become a leader in my church youth group, and a leader on the worship team.
I was born and raised in a small village in Nigeria. I had a happy childhood, surrounded by a loving family and close-knit community. But resources and opportunities were scarce. My parents worked tirelessly as farmers to provide for me and my three siblings. They instilled in us strong values like grit, humility and faith. Education was highly prized as the pathway to a brighter future. When I was 12, my family made the difficult decision to immigrate to America, sacrificing all they knew for the chance of more possibilities.
The transition was filled with profound challenges. I struggled to adjust to a vastly different culture and way of life. Starting middle school, I became a target for bullies who teased me relentlessly about my appearance, accent and immigrant status. I endured racial slurs and shoving in the halls. One boy even ripped up my homework, laughing as he tossed it in the trash. I wassolated and excluded.
Joining the wrestling team in 9th grade proved to be a turning point. As a overweight Nigerian with no athletic experience, I was humbled initially by how poorly I performed. But I refused to quit. I stayed late after practice to work on moves, watched videos to analyze technique, and persevered through the frustration and embarrassment. My coach took me under his wing, instilling core values like mental toughness, discipline and confidence.
After months of hard work, I won my first match! The thrill of victory was indescribable. Wrestling taught me how to fail, get back up again and believe in my abilities. I learned to use criticism to fuel my dedication and growth. My losses built grit and shaped me into a strong team leader. I built close friendships on the team that replaced the isolation I had felt for years. Above all, wrestling gave me the resilience and self-esteem I needed to overcome challenges.
In college, I plan to study engineering and computer science. I envision returning to Nigeria after graduation to help solve pressing infrastructure problems. Only 60% of Nigerians have access to electricity due to chronic power outages, grid deficiencies and lack of generating capacity. My dream is to expand reliable energy access across Nigeria. I hope to develop innovative solutions that will empower families, schools and businesses that still live without basic necessities like lighting.
To achieve this goal, I am pursuing a STEM education and seeking opportunities like internships at renewable energy companies. I am participating in organizations like Engineers Without Borders to gain hands-on experience. I also plan to return to Nigeria each summer to better understand current challenges and collaborate with communities on identifying needs. With hard work, dedication and the problem-solving skills I gain from my education, I know I can make a positive impact back home. I hope to overcome obstacles through resilience and persistence, just as I learned in wrestling. My vision is to uplift communities in Nigeria and pave the way for youth to access education and electricity. Though the journey will have challenges, I am prepared to wrestle them head
