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 West African descent speak about.

The Pressure: Internal and/or External

“In West African culture, there can be a high level of pressure to excel in our academics in efforts to not let our parents down. I have noticed this is a common experience amongst most of my West African peers,” remarked Washington University senior track & field student-athlete Ebunoluwa Opata, whose parents were married in Nigeria, but immediately relocated to London, where Opata spent the first 11 years of her life before the family moved to the U.S. in 2013. “I never felt an immense amount of pressure to do well to not let my parents down. While I was growing up, my parents always went above and beyond to ensure that I had the best education and would even hire tutors to prepare me for higher level education from an early age. However, I never felt the pressure that I may let them down if I didn’t do the best on a given assignment or in a class. I feel like I internalized the pressure that most West African children experience and put a lot more pressure on myself than my parents ever did. I found that I would compare myself to how other West Africans my age were doing academically, and that pushed me to work harder.”

Whether the pressure is internal, external, or some combination, it is very real to West Africans navigating the educational system in the U.S. “Education is one of the pillars of Nigerian culture. The emphasis on education and knowing that so many of my countrymen and relatives have succeeded in the classroom made me feel like I could do the same thing,” commented 2008 University of Rochester graduate and men’s basketball player Uche Ndubizu. “There is a high level of expectation, which can be a challenge and the pressure is palpable. But pressure makes diamonds.”

Ndubizu’s classmate and teammate Jon Onyiriuka knew early on that expectations were high in his family. “Education is paramount to being successful in life. As my paternal grandfather said to my father, ‘A person without education is nobody.’ Needless to say, education was very important growing up in my family.” Onyiriuka, who joined Ndubizu on multiple UAA All-Academic teams during his career, majored in financial economics, while minoring in electrical & computer engineering, and legal studies.

WashU senior track & field student-athlete Charis Riebe appreciates the high expectations in her family. “Education is very important in my mom’s hometown of Oro-Ago. Growing up, my brother and I were expected to excel in our classes, take the advanced and AP options available in high school, attend top universities, and get at least one other degree after undergrad,” she expressed. “While it can be a lot of pressure at times, I appreciate how education is valued and how we are pushed to be our best. After graduating from WashU, I will be pursuing a law degree and then a master’s degree, and who knows, maybe a PhD after that.”

University of Chicago 2022 graduate volleyball student-athlete graduate Temilade Adekoya, 2023 Carnegie Mellon University track & field student-athlete graduate Ola Owudunni and current Rochester volleyball head coach Ladi Iya mention versions of the same conceptual jokes in the Nigerian culture. “Nigerians are very focused on education. They believe that a good education is the key to a successful life, especially in America,” Owudunni stated. “It’s a joke that there are only two careers that exist: doctor or engineer. I think it translated to me knowing that I had to work hard in my classes and do the best I could.”

“Nigerians are very big on education,” Adekoya emphasized. “So much so that a 98 percent on a test will prompt Nigerian parents to ask, ‘What happened to the other two points?!’ I think that while this was stressful at times, it allowed me to push myself in school and have high expectations for myself as a Black girl in environments in which I was not expected to succeed.”

“Education is extremely important in our culture. The running joke is that it is expected that you become a doctor or lawyer. For my parents especially, it was important that my siblings and I receive an education outside of Nigeria because at that time, Nigerian universities were often plagued by both student and teacher strikes, which impeded the timely process of acquiring a degree,” Iya added. “My parents definitely put academic pressure on me as a student and weren’t particularly chuffed when I went into coaching.” She is in her 16th season at the helm of the Yellowjackets and half-jokes that her parents only recently stopped asking when she would be getting her medical degree and take over the family clinic.

Bringing Cultural Education Values to the U.S.

For Brandeis University men’s track & field freshman Nana Kudom, the Ghanian views on education have played a key role in where he is now in his academic journey. “I think education in West African culture is extremely important. That is one of the main reasons my family wanted me to be here (in the U.S.), so I could have access to some of the best institutions and programs,” he stated. The computer science and biology major was born in Ghana and came to the U.S. with his family when he was seven years old.

Case Western Reserve University track & field student-athlete Peculiar “Pekky” Nzegbuna, who is pursuing his master’s degree in aerospace engineering, was born in Lagos, Nigeria and came to the U.S. in 2011. “Education is paramount. Growing up, one of the top priorities for a child was to succeed in school as well as to always keep learning. Upon arriving in the U.S., I approached my schooling with so much alacrity for learning, particularly when I began to learn about things common in daily life, such as the human body, airplanes, and society,” he described.

Rochester freshman men’s basketball student-athlete Bernard Dushie, Jr. arrived in the U.S. from Ghana in November 2021. “In West African culture, we highly value education as a means of personal development, societal progress, and empowerment,” he noted. “We do that by respecting teachers and elders, while emphasizing the importance of passing down knowledge for the betterment of future generations.”

“In Nigeria, especially amongst the people of my tribe, education is very important,” stated NYU junior track & field student-athlete Michelle Uvieghara, who was born in the small town of Koko outside of Benin City near the gulf (the next major city people are familiar with being Lagos), before coming to the U.S. with her family when she was just nine months old. “You must go to school and to the best of your ability, excel in school. Education is viewed as an opportunity for success and whatever you learn, unlike many things, will stay with you wherever you go.”

Nigerian-born WashU graduate Eka Jose agrees with her countrywoman Uvieghara’s assessment. “Education is of utmost importance in the Nigerian culture because it is seen as a source of pride and one of the ways you can open an almost unlimited number of doors for yourself and your family. It is a key to a better life, especially for immigrant families that already face many challenges,” she discussed.

“Education is seen as an invaluable asset that remains steadfast regardless of circumstances,” stated CWRU graduating senior Jennifer Ngo. “For me, this cultural perspective on education has instilled a profound sense of resilience, emphasizing the value of learning as an asset in navigating life’s challenges.”

Education as Opportunity

Emory University freshman track & field student-athlete Kofi Igyan is one of the few West African student-athletes in the UAA whose grandparents came to the U.S. nearly 50 years ago, yet he has not lost sight of the opportunities he has that are not available to everyone. “I know that education is placed in high value in Ghana because not everyone can go to school due to a lack of funds and poor government management,” he pointed out. “The high value of education was instilled in my mother, who then encouraged me to be a scholar rather than just a student. By that I mean becoming truly immersed in what I am learning and finding value for it outside of the classroom. I credit my academic successes to that mindset.”

UChicago junior track & field student-athlete Jason Asare’s family arrived in the U.S. from Ghana in 1997. “Many families in Ghana dwell in very destitute environments, causing them to view education as the only means to eventually living a better life. This aspect of the Ghanian culture impacted my personal life growing up as education was always the number one priority in my household,” he recalled. “My parents consistently made the conscious effort to remind me to read, ask questions, and learn things about the world. These practices caused me to become a very curious individual and develop my own love for education, which continues to influence the way in which I approach life daily.”

“To be educated is a privilege, not a right, and as such, a lot of your effort must go toward your education. Everything is a competition, and you must always excel, especially in Nigeria, where on your report card you are given a class rank. It is always important to be at the head of your class,” commented 2024 WashU track & field student-athlete graduate and current University of Wisconsin graduate student Abayomi Awoyomi. “Given that context, I always strove to be the best in every subject. I pushed myself so hard that I skipped a grade in middle school, and afterward, the school wanted me to skip from seventh grade directly into high school.”

Sophomore volleyball CWRU student-athlete Elizabeth Onyekwere echoed Awoyomi’s view. “Education is the foundation of success in Nigeria and is prioritized at a young age. My parents always remind me how much stricter and more rigorous their schooling was compared to that in the U.S. Education not only focuses on academic success, but also focuses on personal growth. This reminds me that education is a privilege and to make the most of the academic opportunities offered to me. This makes me want to explore as many areas of study I can and always want to learn more,” she elucidated.

Prioritizing Academics

For many West African student-athletes in the UAA, prioritizing their academics is simply a given. “School is always the main job. Everything else has been extracurricular,” summarized senior men’s basketball student-athlete Chidera Nwokolo, who is graduating with a degree in cognitive science as part of WashU’s Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology (PNP) program that fosters engagement between different disciplines addressing the mind-brain. “That educational mindset has definitely helped lead to success in the classroom.”

Case Western Reserve University junior track & field student-athlete Kwabena Agyemang’s parents came to the U.S. from Ghana in the mid-1990s. “My parents’ culture places great importance on education. To them, and to me, education can open doors in life that one would find unimaginable,” he said.

Jaden Emoghene, a freshman men’s soccer student-athlete at Emory who is studying neuroscience and behavioral biology, sees academics as the core of a person’s life. “We have a very high view of education in the Nigerian culture. Education is everything and establishes a balance in everyday life,” he explained.

“My father always emphasized how important education was to me because it was very important in the Nigerian culture,” said UChicago freshman track & field student-athlete Gabe Eribo, who is double majoring in economics and public policy. His mother was born in Ohio, where the family currently lives, but his father was born in Nigeria before coming to the U.S. at age 17. “That made me put a lot of effort into academics and always push myself to take difficult classes.”

A Widening View on the Benefits of Education

Some West African UAA student-athletes believe they are already seeing a cultural shift that allows for defining success beyond the traditional professions that previous generations may have deemed more important.

“Nigerians tend to primarily emphasize education; however, they also encourage people to thrive in other aspects of life,” according to Rochester junior track & field student-athlete Emmanuel “Manny” Eribo, who is studying brain and cognitive sciences. “While I was growing up, education was a big focus in my household, yet I was also given the opportunities and encouragement to pursue some of my other passions. This gave me the freedom to pursue my goal of becoming a collegiate student-athlete.”

“West African culture places a significant amount of emphasis and pride on education, particularly completing higher education. For me, this meant I was always expected by my family to attend a college/university to obtain an undergraduate degree and was expected to obtain a graduate level degree as well,” remarked 2019 Brandeis University graduate and track & field student-athlete Doyin Ogundiran. “I believe that this expectation is rooted in the cultural expectation to succeed and do the best you can in all aspects of your life. I believe that some West African families are beginning to understand that there are other avenues and ways in which one can be successful beyond the stereotypical law, medicine, or engineering fields that many West African children are funneled into. I am glad that my parents pushed me and had great expectations for me in education, but I am also glad that parents are beginning to open their eyes to other forms of success beyond their current beliefs.”