Nigerian Emerges Student Of The Year In Virginia Tech

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Nigerian Emerges Student Of The Year In Virginia Tech

By Correspondent

A Nigerian, Nneoma Nwankwo has won the “Undergraduate Student of the Year” in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech.This prestigious award recognises undergraduate students who have achieved overall excellence during their time at the university. The multi-talented student is set to graduate in May with a degree in Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Nneoma is minoring in Public and Urban Affairs and Creative Writing. She is also engaged in domestic and international service and research on issues facing girls and women in developing nations. Nneoma shared her experience in an interview with the institution’s website.“At Virginia Tech, I have been challenged to live in service to others. I have learned how to lead boldly as I pursue my global development interests, by serving those around me; I create a meaningful life for myself.”She explains: “Virginia Tech Undergraduate Student of the Year” award recognises undergraduate students who have achieved overall excellence during their career at the university. Only students with exceptional and balanced achievement in academics, leadership, and service can win the award. In 2013, Nneoma embarked on an independent study supervised by Ralph Hall, the Assistant Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, School of Public and International Affairs in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Her research topic was “Negative effects of poor Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) on the education and socio-economic empowerment of girls in undeserved areas of sub-Saharan Africa.” Dr Hall reiterated; “Nneoma’s ability to lead her own research in Nigeria and develop and deliver workshops on MHM and adolescent sexuality provide some insight into her unique set of skills and capabilities. “I believe Nneoma’s focus on MHM in schools is one of the most important issues facing young women in developing countries. Her future research and engagement in this area is likely to be transformative for her and for those she is able to touch,” Hall added.Commenting on her research, Nneoma said: “For me, it was necessary for women’s voices to be heard; thus, in Nigeria, I conducted focus groups and workshops with young women. In the Republic of Niger, I participated in the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council and United Nations Women menstrual hygiene trainings, which were aimed at lobbying national policymakers to establish MHM as a top priority in water and sanitation legislation. Through these unique experiences, I found passion in working in the service of others.” Nneoma has taken up many leadership positions across campus. She served as the fundraising chair for the African Students Association and raised money for a local charity in Ethiopia. Asides from being a coach at the Virginia Tech Writing Centre, this gifted Nigerian girl speaks English and Igbo fluently, and she is also proficient in French, Yoruba and Swahili. As an international columnist for the Collegiate Times, a student-run newspaper, she earned an honourable mention in the 2015 Steger Poetry Prize competition. “I’ve had a ton of impactful experiences at Virginia Tech, but I think the relationships I have had with professors, particularly in the English, Urban Planning and Political Science departments, have been incredibly meaningful to me,” she shares.

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