I’ve lived a pretty interesting, fun, and drama-filled life these past 19 years. I was born as the fifth child in a family of eight, so my immediate older brother and I are firmly the “middle children.” However, we didn’t experience any invisibility because, unlike most households, we grew up with three parents. My father’s sister and her family lived close by, leading to a communal co-parenting system. With twelve children under the supervision of three very busy adults, my cousins and I formed close bonds, often dividing into cliques by age. My clique, being the ’04 pregnancies group, spent our time playfully fighting, playing wild games, and creating borderline dangerous ways to have fun. We also experienced school together. Living with my grandparents in a large house added to the dynamic. My grandfather was the coolest and had an incredible ability to make each of us feel like his favorite. He taught me what love is and what it means to be a Christian. As a pioneer of the Church of Christ in my country, he was a significant spiritual influence on many people, including me. Our parents were very busy, working as administrators in a big secondary school in our city, but they never made us feel neglected. My dad would take me to his antique car workshop (he’s also an engineer and a collector) to ride in his convertibles. My mother, like my grandparents, farms a lot, so we often bonded over farm work. Despite the variety in our lives, one constant was the importance of education. My family is full of people at different levels of academia. It's often joked that we are cursed to be teachers, but I like it. Currently, I teach at my alma mater as part of a giving-back program. While becoming a teacher or professor isn’t forced on us, academic excellence is. In Nigeria, education is very competitive, and students are ranked at all levels of primary and secondary education. My parents always encouraged me to be the best and to try my best even when I couldn’t be the best. I remember feeling sad when I came second consecutively, and my father told me, “Give yourself the grace to accept that you are human and may not always be the best. You’ve done well, and that’s what matters.” This lesson has stuck with me my whole life. I have been the best sometimes, and other times I have been content with just trying my best. In secondary school, my favorite subjects were math and economics. I’ve always loved math because it often came easily to me, yet it also challenged me. Economics fascinated me because it uses numbers to explain human society and assess whether a city or nation is doing well. In a way, it’s like numbers brought to life. I had excellent teachers in both subjects, which fueled my passion. My goal in life is to make a change wherever I find myself. I want to study economics, specifically developmental economics, and perhaps obtain a master’s degree in this area to help my part of the country move forward. Nigeria, and especially my region, is blessed but often lags in many metrics. By learning the tools necessary for development, I believe I can be impactful in my community and nation. Lubbock Christian University, with its LCU in Washington program and Christian environment, is the ideal place for me to achieve this education. I hope to be granted the opportunity to attend, and I hope the institution wants me as well!