Hailing from a war-torn community - Ufut Community in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, “Ikot Ana”. where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets. The tension between these communities can easily be noticed even as trade or mingling with each other is still despised by both people. I was born into a condition that made me a mediator by instinct. I have lived in a community where mental health is underrated, and the main aim is to live till the next sunrise. I can feel the pains of children and even adults who had dark pasts such as mine and even worse. When I look around me, all I see is a bright future, the abundance of talent of our rising generation, and what it takes to lighten their spirits to dream, look beyond the past and see a better future today, I will do. I founded Sabara Computer Institute and Services for these youngsters at the peak of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. But there was more to have impacted the lives of 50 children and 11 adults so far, which was achieved through our computer literacy coined with counseling sessions. This institute has only begun and would expand into a full-blown educational institution that would only be in rural war-torn communities across Africa. Locations where many refrain from. My sole priority is the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress on a daily basis. It is clear that a child's environment has a great impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine the extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about the pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No. Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment, where eatables are sold, lurks with rodents. For this reason, I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes,I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but I am pleading with residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background and think of how to change it. When I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches, wouldn't fully change the situation for the better. Being proactive would help me hone other leadership characteristics, including steadfastness and philanthropy but what better way to prepare than education. Though young and vibrant in our youth, my mother, a teacher in Nigeria would always remind I and my peers that violence is never a solution but education is the greatest weapon to change the world starting from our small community - Ufut. I have learnt how to horn emotional intelligence skills and would continue to practice such.

Hailing from a war-torn community - Ufut Community in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, “Ikot Ana”. where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets. The tension between these communities can easily be noticed even as trade or mingling with each other is still despised by both people. I was born into a condition that made me a mediator by instinct. I have lived in a community where mental health is underrated, and the main aim is to live till the next sunrise. I can feel the pains of children and even adults who had dark pasts such as mine and even worse. When I look around me, all I see is a bright future, the abundance of talent of our rising generation, and what it takes to lighten their spirits to dream, look beyond the past and see a better future today, I will do. I founded Sabara Computer Institute and Services for these youngsters at the peak of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. But there was more to have impacted the lives of 50 children and 11 adults so far, which was achieved through our computer literacy coined with counseling sessions. This institute has only begun and would expand into a full-blown educational institution that would only be in rural war-torn communities across Africa. Locations where many refrain from. My fear is the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress on a daily basis. It is clear that a child's environment has a great impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about the pregnant women. Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No. Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes,I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. Being proactive would help me hone other leadership characteristics, including - longsuffering and philanthropy and I am would be dearly grateful to anyone or organization willing to invest in my dreams of making these kids dreams come true.

I hail from a land where the sun smiles during the day, the moon at night, and electricity has not killed the stars. The rustic moonlight life of my countryside is often associated with plays and storytelling by both young and old. The stories, riddles, and sacred charms represent the literacy and heritage of my people. Hailing from a war-torn community, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. The Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, Ikot Ana, in the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. At some point, my parents separated for the same reason. The last war happened in 2006, when I lost many extended family members. Though the war seized, the tension between these communities can easily be noticed, even as trade or any mingling with each other was despised by both people. Growing up in a war-torn community can be mentally traumatic, especially on the side of the marginalized. Surrounded by fellow youths bursting with vigor to strike back at every attack, peace was not an option to be mentioned, talk-less considered. I learned to rise beyond my emotions of rage and informed my decision to make peace through access to quality education for the sake of the children and the unborn. Considered a traitor by my fellow youths, once a youth leader, now called a weakling by his people, I have learned that our actions need no validation by the majority. Before the Lassa fever outbreak in 2018, I may have looked funny to some while on the streets of my village with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but I was pleading with residents to keep their surroundings clean and participate during our monthly community clean-up exercises. I was glad I could create a team of 13 for that same course. I hope to continue positively impacting the lives of people in various slums across my country. Forged in the furnace of rejection and trauma, my relationships have changed from one for all to doing what is right. The majority should not carry the vote if the motivation and end goal are ill-founded. No matter how small my circle of friends and colleagues has become, I have assured peace of mind, trusting that I have been courageous enough to choose the right. Freedom is a precious gift of nature, and withholding it from anyone can result in violent resistance, whether expected or not. Consider the life of a domesticated tiger, whose owner’s interest includes the glamour that comes with rearing such a feared big cat, or the life of a 12-year-old girl in Northern Nigeria sold into marriage by her father for a couple of the exquisite red Bororo breed of cows. Mental health was never a discussion in my family, and I only labored to live to see the next sunrise. But not until I arrived in the United States after being named a civic engagement scholar at Oglethorpe University in recognition of my deep commitment to service and leadership in my community. My experience is a huge factor in the dreams I pursue today. Back home, I am a member of the young African leadership initiative, and here in Atlanta, where I am a scholar of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, I may be a business major who aspires to be an entrepreneur, but my interest in community service has always come as an effortless engagement through my writing about marginalized African communities and work for non-profits such as the Ashinaga Foundation.

I hail from a land where the sun smiles in the day, the moon at night, and electricity has not killed the stars. The rustic moonlight life of my countryside is often associated with plays and storytelling by both young and old. The stories, riddles, and sacred charms represent the literacy and heritage of my people. Hailing from a war-torn community, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, Ikot Ana, in the Biase Local government area of Cross River State. At some point, my parents separated for the same reason. The last war happened in 2006 when I lost many extended family members. Though the war seized, the tension between these communities can easily be noticed even as trade or any mingling with each other was despised by both people. Growing up in a war-torn community can be mentally traumatic, especially on the side of the marginalized. Surrounded by fellow youths bursting with vigor to strike back at every attack, peace was not an option to be mentioned talk-less considered. I learned to rise beyond my emotions of rage and informed my decision of peace-making through access to quality education for the sake of the children and unborn. Considered a traitor by my fellow youths, once a youth leader, now called a weakling by his people, I have learned that our actions need no validation by the majority. Before the Lassa fever outbreak in 2018, I may have looked funny to some while on the streets of my village with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading with residents to keep their surroundings clean and participate during our monthly community clean-up exercises. I was glad I could create a team of 13 for that same course. I hope to continue positively impacting the lives of people in various slums across my country. Forged through the furnace of rejection and trauma, my relationships have changed from one for all to do what is right. I have assured peace of mind trusting that I have been courageous enough to choose the right. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized education is pivotal to the making the change I want to see i the world. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce, some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No. Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I have learnt how to burst the doors open for those behind me although the ladder that led to this was lonleir than I had even expected. In a couple years, I was awarded a civic engagement scholarship to study in the United States. But, before my interest in acquring better education abroad, I had grown deeper roots with my community. I had traveled to my state - Cross River for a research project on possible crops which would be feasible for a venture yet in its ideation stage - Sabara Farms. On reaching my purpose within a week, I further engaged myself in a teaching job with a pioneer secondary school which I was glad to behold come into operation. On the 13th of January 2020, news from my state’s government saddened our hearts. We have already met up with children in the community, informing them of the good news of finally, an opportunity to attend school without having to paddle boats to the neighboring community each weekday. A school on our soil. But, tragedy stroke All schools were to shut down to counter the spread of COVID-19. It was during these circumstances that I founded the first of its kind in the rural outskirts of my community, a computer institute. With children out of school, with few things to do other than helping their parents on the farm. Sabara Multi-Links Computer Institute And Services was a necessity. While adhering to COVID-19 protocols and incorporating traditional learning infrastructures (Village Square) Its services reached 16 primary school students, 21 teenagers in secondary school, and 4 adults within the space of six months. It was a golden opportunity through which I developed interpersonal skills. My long-term goal is to expand it into a Pan-African secondary school which would situated in war-torn communities around the world in support of my shared belief that education is the powerful with which one can change the world with - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YTGgGHNC8etkMfCdxTipdcqrit1bAnqV?usp=drive_link.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. From a war-torn community, I grew up in a community that made me a mediator by instinct and volunteering through organizations such as Yali network, Ashinaga foundation and more, have reshaped my understanding of the ever changing needs of my community. But, if most importantly, made me thankful for where I find myself, a bit better to help others.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. The greatest adversity which paves way for speed in acheivements, is breaking through mental slaverly into an "I can do" attitude. . As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life.

My understanding of self-leadership was not learnt in the classroom. Yes, my government and civic education teacher had in several occasions gone beyond class discussion to organize student-led leadership workshops, from which firstly, I understood the importance of proactivity. Occasionally, fellow students would all seemingly be unbothered to a certain task not because they are unsure of how to lead the peer-group as we were divided into peer-groups, but because they believed it was better someone else takes the lead. Why? I realized because many were scared of failing. Thoughts like “What if my idea turns out to be a flop”, or “How do I propose a solution pleasing to the entire team” and finally the most demotivating of them all “Franklin would take the lead instead, he’s super smart.” Now, this is invariably implying that leaders are born and not made or that one’s intelligence remains a gift received at birth and was never sharpened. All of these are untrue. So far, beyond proactivity, respect is a value I also discovered is important in building healthy relationships with any community of persons. From the majority which stood by me side by side to also a good few who believed I should not be the one occupying the leadership positions due to multi-cultural interest clash including social class, I respected everyone. No one have known this before now, that I engaged myself in athletics just to gain the hearts of this good few who were seemingly ready to stop at nothing in destabilizing my tenure. Though it was successful within few terms, the rest maintained their grounds that I wasn’t perfect neither was I good enough to lead but, on the long run, prior to graduation, the narrative changed. Now, when I reflect, they changed because I respected their perspective about me. Yes, I am definitely not perfect and I never argued this neither did I discriminate. They respected the fact that I remained mature in character towards them though their negative attitude towards me. That I yet still, respected them as everyone else. While students from similar background such as I, chose to be reactive to these environments, I chose proactivity. I was already leading by doing this. As these few who were reactive at the beginning of their high-school journey began to understand that there was actually nothing wrong with who they identified as and that they matter too. Leadership begins with leading-self. Throughout my first term at high-school I was finding myself. No, I wasn’t lost, I was seeking the best way to navigate, blend in and explore my new environment in the most respectful way possible. It was too much to say that I was already fully self-aware as a high-school fresher. The truth is “I wasn’t.” In the middle of term 2, I was elected my class president. Yes, I was actually voted in by members of my culturally diverse class. But, how did I manage to amass 61% of the total votes? None of this, came easy. In many occasions, I was not only backlashed by oppositions but at some point, almost began to re-think the impact of the position I occupied to my mental well-being. As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world – my small village. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life. A thousand dollar towards my debt in college would enable me maintain my enrollment and achieve these goals.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. My American dream is just as this chinese bamboo, to learn through the law of process that moulds people to successful positive change makers in their communities where ever they find themselves and to crown it all, give back to my people through non-profit engagements, that, is my American dream.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world – my small village. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life. Neither did I know that my furioucious burst of drive for positive change motivated much more changemakers in heart but today revealing to make a move. I am glad to share that my community had always reminded the public the motivating effect I had in their success in life. This has entirely made me rethink legacy, with an unpopular opinion that I can forge my lagacy even now in my youth.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world – my small village. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background but think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Without its roots structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. As I grew older, I began to concur with my icon, the late Nelson Mandela, that education is the most powerful tool with which I can change the world – my small village. I swore to myself that I would ensure I leave a positive mark in the lives of my people, bursting the doors open for others but this newfound goal unlocked the season of girt test in my life.

I hail from a land where the sun smiles in the day, the moon at night, and electricity has not killed the stars. The rustic moonlight life of my countryside is often associated with plays and storytelling by both young and old. The stories, riddles, and sacred charms represent the literacy and heritage of my people. Hailing from a war-torn community, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, Ikot Ana, in the Biase Local government area of Cross River State. At some point, my parents separated for the same reason. The last war happened in 2006 when I lost many extended family members. Though the war seized, the tension between these communities can easily be noticed even as trade or any mingling with each other was despised by both people. Growing up in a war-torn community can be mentally traumatic, especially on the side of the marginalized. Surrounded by fellow youths bursting with vigor to strike back at every attack, peace was not an option to be mentioned talk-less considered. I learned to rise beyond my emotions of rage and informed my decision of peace-making through access to quality education for the sake of the children and unborn. Considered a traitor by my fellow youths, once a youth leader, now called a weakling by his people, I have learned that our actions need no validation by the majority. Before the Lassa fever outbreak in 2018, I may have looked funny to some while on the streets of my village with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading with residents to keep their surroundings clean and participate during our monthly community clean-up exercises. I was glad I could create a team of 13 for that same course. I hope to continue positively impacting the lives of people in various slums across my country. Forged in the furnace of rejection and trauma, my relationships have changed from one for all to do what is right. The majority should not carry the vote if the motivation and end goal is ill-founded. No matter how small my circle of friends and colleagues has become, I have assured peace of mind trusting that I have been courageous enough to choose the right. Freedom is a precious gift of nature which withholding from any being can result in violent resistance whether expected or not. Consider the life of a domesticated tiger, whose owner’s interest includes the glamour that comes with rearing such a feared big cat, or the life of a 12-year-old girl in Northern Nigeria sold into marriage by her father for a couple of the exquisite red Bororo breed of cows. Mental health was never a discussion as my family, and I only labored to live to see the next sunrise. But not until I arrived in the United States after being named a Civic engagement scholar at Oglethorpe University in recognition of my deep commitment to service and leadership in my community. My experience is a huge factor in the dreams I pursue today. Back home, I am a member of the young African leadership initiative, and here in Atlanta, where I school, a scholar of the institute for responsible citizenship. I may be a business major who aspires to be an entrepreneur. Still, my interest in community service has always been an effortless engagement through my writing about marginalized African communities and work for non-profits such as the Ashinaga Foundation.

I hail from a land where the sun smiles in the day, the moon at night, and electricity has not killed the stars. The rustic moonlight life of my countryside is often associated with plays and storytelling by both young and old. The stories, riddles, and sacred charms represent the literacy and heritage of my people. Hailing from a war-torn community, I have lived my childhood days to the sounds of gunshots and the sight of bloodshed. Ufut community has been at war with a neighboring village, Ikot Ana, in the Biase Local government area of Cross River State. At some point, my parents separated for the same reason. The last war happened in 2006 when I lost many extended family members. Though the war seized, the tension between these communities can easily be noticed even as trade or any mingling with each other was despised by both people. Growing up in a war-torn community can be mentally traumatic, especially on the side of the marginalized. Surrounded by fellow youths bursting with vigor to strike back at every attack, peace was not an option to be mentioned talk-less considered. I learned to rise beyond my emotions of rage and informed my decision of peace-making through access to quality education for the sake of the children and unborn. Considered a traitor by my fellow youths, once a youth leader, now called a weakling by his people, I have learned that our actions need no validation by the majority. Before the Lassa fever outbreak in 2018, I may have looked funny to some while on the streets of my village with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading with residents to keep their surroundings clean and participate during our monthly community clean-up exercises. I was glad I could create a team of 13 for that same course. I hope to continue positively impacting the lives of people in various slums across my country. Forged in the furnace of rejection and trauma, my relationships have changed from one for all to do what is right. The majority should not carry the vote if the motivation and end goal is ill-founded. No matter how small my circle of friends and colleagues has become, I have assured peace of mind trusting that I have been courageous enough to choose the right. Freedom is a precious gift of nature which withholding from any being can result in violent resistance whether expected or not. Consider the life of a domesticated tiger, whose owner’s interest includes the glamour that comes with rearing such a feared big cat, or the life of a 12-year-old girl in Northern Nigeria sold into marriage by her father for a couple of the exquisite red Bororo breed of cows. Mental health was never a discussion as my family, and I only labored to live to see the next sunrise. But not until I arrived in the United States after being named a Civic engagement scholar at Oglethorpe University in recognition of my deep commitment to service and leadership in my community. My experience is a huge factor in the dreams I pursue today. Back home, I am a member of the young African leadership initiative, and here in Atlanta, where I school, a scholar of the institute for responsible citizenship. I may be a business major who aspires to be an entrepreneur, but my interest in community service has always come as an effortless engagement, through my writing about marginalized African communities and work for non-profits such as the Ashinaga Foundation.

To be me in a world that is constantly trying to make me something else is a great accomplishment. Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets.  Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. At the same time, their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. It is clear that a child's environment has a significant impact on that child's psychological well-being. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No.  Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading on residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background and think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counted but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. To explain what preparation I mean here - You can take a Chinese bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water it, and nurture that for an entire year. You will not see any sprouts for five years. But suddenly a tiny shoot will spring from the ground. Over the next six weeks, the plant can grow as tall as 90 feet. It can grow as fast as 39 inches every 24 hours. You can literally watch the plant grow. What the plant was doing in the last five years, seemingly dormant? It was growling its roots. For five full years, it was preparing itself for rapid massive growth. Without its root structure, the plant could not simply support itself for future growth. Some say the plant grows 90 feet in 6 weeks. I would say it grew 90 feet in 5 years and 6 weeks. My college experience would test my faith and my willingness to believe in my own talent at the beginning of my journey. During a community youth event, I organized in July - I told my fellow youth the truth. That I would be gone for a little while but when I return, there would be more rapid growth in our community. "Please don't sit back here, you can do better, you are stars. If you're unsure of what to do, just follow my lead but do what you're best in. It's going to be a cactus-to-roses experience for us all." I added.

Hailing from an under-developed community, where not even the rocky route to my home was easily accessible on foot, I would call myself a mountaineer as I've been climbing hills since childhood. Air pollution from degradable waste found on certain streets. Children hawking farm produce some of which were heavy for them to carry. While their parents work on their farmlands. I realized most of these hardworking families are of good character. I fear the children "Our Leaders Of Tomorrow" who have no opportunity to attend school and are exposed to so much physical stress daily. I can only imagine what extent of psychological trauma my fellow children are passing through. I've asked myself questions like "Why" Why are we this unfortunate? A trial we all have to undergo? If so, then what about pregnant women? Would those unborn children be part of this suffering? No. Lassa fever outbreaks partly because most of our market's environment where eatables are sold lurks with rodents. More reason I took community clean-up exercises seriously. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading with residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background and think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts, but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches,won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. I had traveled to my state - Cross River, Nigeria for a research project on possible crops which would be feasible for a venture yet in its ideation stage - Sabara Farms. On reaching my purpose within a week, I further engaged myself in a teaching job with a pioneer secondary school which I was glad to behold come into operation. 13th of January 2020, news from my state’s government saddened our hearts. We have already met up with children in the community, informing them of the good news of finally, an opportunity to attend school without having to paddle boats to the neighboring community each weekday. A school on our soil. But, tragedy stroke All schools were to shut down to counter the spread of COVID-19. I founded the first of its kind in the rural outskirts of my community, a computer institute. Sabara Multi-Links Computer Institute And Services was a necessity. While adhering to COVID-19 protocols and incorporating traditional learning infrastructures (Village Square) Its services reached 16 primary school students, 8 teenagers in secondary school, and 4 adults within the space of six months. It was a golden opportunity through which I developed interpersonal skills. My long-term goal is to expand it into a Pan-African secondary school for poor education has robbed my people of a lot of opportunities. I witnessed how companies (who had initially employed my people) and even government-run educational institutions fled my community during the war. My company, Sabara Outreach would continue to provide literacy training programs to disadvantaged children residing in rural war-torn African communities. The seemingly forgotten amongst us. Currently a civic engagement scholar at Oglethorpe University, I am undergoing preparation to reach out to my friends back home.

Born and raised in the war-torn minority efik community of Ufut in southern Nigeria, I lived in a community where mental health is underrated, and the main aim is to live till the next sunrise. A world where we would not all be caught up in selfish interests while treading on the shoes of the voiceless in society is one, I seek. I witnessed how companies (who had initially employed my people) and even government-run educational institutions fled my community during the war. My non-profit, Sabara Outreach would continue to provide literacy training programs to disadvantaged children residing in rural war-torn African communities. The seemingly forgotten amongst us. I am a Business major and chose this because it would enable me to gain key skills as an entrepreneur. I chose this path because through it I can tap into various fields as a key player since business is primarily about making a profit. Whether in the case of an engineering or medical organization, making a profit is key. I love it, because of the endless opportunities that come from it as It intersects with other fields. Yes, I may look funny to some while on the streets with my microphone and DC-powered speaker hung at my back like a backpack, but pleading with residents to keep their surroundings neat and massively turn out during monthly community clean-up exercises. I know what I'm doing. Before the demise of my grandmother, she asked me to stop reminding myself of my background and think of how to change the background. That when I discover who I am, I help people by letting them discover what they are. As a teen, I thought using my talents to make people happy was all that counts, but I quickly realized that my talents, nor motivational speeches, won't fully change the situation for the better. I am coming to college to prepare myself judging from the fact that I enthusiastically desire to. I am still striving to be exceptional and not there yet. With my desired specialization in business being entrepreneurship, the values which I had honed growing up, even as a MasterCard foundation scholar at The African Leadership College, has set the cornerstone for my preparation While entrepreneurial concepts require grit, I have been mentored into a leader who never gives up on his dreams, no matter how stupid it may sound to anyone. While my turbulent background taught me empathy, as a Civic engagement scholar at Oglethorpe, my service to the Atlanta community would provide me opportunities to continue to balance my aspirations of amassing wealth through my business ventures and genuine love for the environment and community of persons around me. My good heart makes me exceptional. I am of the opinion that education, especially in any business field is beyond what transpires in a classroom. My company -Sabara Computer Institute, was originally a prep lesson center for high-school students with difficulty understanding maths and computer science is also currently mentoring high-school graduates from low-income backgrounds in Nigeria, applying for scholarship opportunities to study abroad. In the long run, Sabara concepts would birth businesses ranging from education, real estate, mining, and oil & gas with a rooted mission of serving victims of war-torn communities. I want my people of African descent even my very own who considered me a weakling for amplifying peace in my community through the Young African Leadership Initiative, to understand that struggles for land expansion or ethnic cleansing are not worth it at all. Be it leading self or others, ethical and accountable leadership has continued to go extinct.