Nearly every West African UAA competitor who is part of the series found their West African identity strengthened by their college experience, though it happened in a myriad of ways. This was consistent whether the person was in their first year at the UAA institution or had already graduated, whileContinue Reading
West African student-athletes, past and present, in the University Athletic Association have had their identity shaped by their culture of origin in a multitude of ways. First Generation U.S. Born West Africans Most of the West African student-athletes over the years were born in the U.S., but their parents wereContinue Reading
Food and tradition play an important role in any strong culture. Whether they were born abroad or in the U.S., West Africans in the University Athletic Association have remained true to cultural traditions and meals. Celebrations and Ceremonies “Nigerians celebrate everything and anything. It is a ‘go big or goContinue Reading
The University Athletic Association (UAA) was founded on the premise that academic and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive, with the membership consisting of some of the strongest academic institutions in the U.S. Emphasis on education and the pursuit of academic excellence is a consistent theme UAA student-athletes of WestContinue Reading
In November, the Institute of International Education (IIE) reported that the number of Nigerian students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities increased by 22 percent in 2022-23. Nigeria emerged as the only African nation among the top-10 countries with the highest number of students studying in the U.S. Those numbersContinue Reading
As of 2020, there were 7.2 million people in the U.S. who identified as Jewish, second only to Israel worldwide. UAA Jewish student-athletes celebrate their identity and holidays like Passover, which is later this month, in a multitude of ways. Freshman men’s basketball student-athlete Alan Mashensky founded the NYU JewishContinue Reading
