I grew up in a family-oriented background in Lagos, Nigeria, where education has always been the endgame. My parents are educators, so they always made me aware of the vast importance of education and how it separates you from a regular human being. Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, was not easy in a community where the basic resources to excel were not provided to you and you had to work 10x harder. It was not easy. From a very young age, I realized the power that education held. My education in Nigeria was extremely demanding; it was full of ups and downs. I was very fortunate to have attended a school in Nigeria that could take pride in building up students both academically and holistically. This instilled a deep desire in me from a young age to be successful and courageous. Growing up and seeing the vast differences between the rural and urban areas of Nigeria was something that motivated me to study in the United States. I believed that in the United States, I could be getting the best knowledge and making connections that could impact my local community in Lagos. I have always had the idea that before anything, I am a Nigerian, and millions of young Nigerian kids want this same opportunity. I have tremendous highs and not-so-pleasant lows, but all in all, it has built me up into the man I am today. At the age of 8, I was diagnosed with seizures, and this impacted my childhood. It would mean that I had to cut short my athletic journey, because of my health concerns, and it would mean that I had to rehabilitate. The news of this diagnosis came as an unpleasant shock for my parents. I knew that I had two options to either feel remorseful or sorry for myself or to get back up, and keep going, and I chose the right option, which was not to give up. At the age of 14, I was finally healed, and I had become a better version of myself from this long, hard, and emotional process. My parents had been my rock in such trying times because, as a kid, news like that would make you feel like your world was really about to end. As for my post-graduate plans after graduating from university here in the States, I want to go back to Nigeria to help build infrastructure and improve computer literacy in the lives of young kids, giving them hope and light. I want to show them that if I can do it, they can do it. Sadly, there are still so many gaps in the Nigerian educational system. However, I always go by the saying that the journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step, and after my graduation, I am going to take that step. I love my country, and I believe one day it will be great again. However, I am fully aware that the "change" we are looking for has to start with us. An icon who inspired me has to be professional football player JayJay Okocha. He used to be a professional Nigerian football player and was one of the first Nigerian football players to represent us in a European league. He inspires me because he is an example to anyone that you can be a trendsetter.