{"id":12443,"date":"2020-07-01T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=12443"},"modified":"2020-08-24T15:08:02","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T20:08:02","slug":"making-a-dream-a-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/making-a-dream-a-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Dream a Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"
Born in Nigeria, Nnenne Onwuzo grew up with her parents and six brothers. She often found herself tagging along with them, climbing trees and playing sports. As she grew up, she played volleyball and tennis \u2014 but badminton was her favorite sport. Onwuzo competed at the national level, winning multiple gold medals. She even qualified for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, but in protest of New Zealand\u2019s continued involvement with apartheid-era South Africa, Nigeria\u2019s president withdrew his country from the games. \u201cI was disappointed that I couldn\u2019t compete and prove that I could win a gold medal at the international level, but I knew the decision for Nigeria not to participate in the games was the right one,\u201d Onwuzo said.<\/p>\n
Onwuzo graduated with both her bachelor’s and master\u2019s degrees from the University of Nigeria in public health education. After completing her studies, she began working as an instructor at a women\u2019s training college, preparing women to teach in primary schools. In 1993, Onwuzo was awarded a grant to participate in an international exchange program.<\/p>\n
The program brought her to the United States, where she worked at the Franklin County Educational Council in Ohio. In Ohio, Onwuzo was a mentor for children enrolled in after-school programs, with a focus on preparing them for, and encouraging them to consider, going to college. She was engaged in multicultural education initiatives and presented on the Nigerian education system. At the end of her time in the exchange program, Onwuzo was presented the Governor\u2019s Award for Excellence in recognition for her work in education.<\/p>\n
After participating in the exchange program, Onwuzo returned to Nigeria with her husband and children. She spent her time in Nigeria teaching and caring for her family, but she always had the hope of returning to school to pursue a doctoral degree. She had just begun a PhD program when one of her children became ill. \u201cFamily comes first,\u201d Onwuzo said. \u201cSo I had to put my studies on hold to take care of my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n