African Renaissance
Ambassador
ARA is a 501 (c) 3
Not-for-profit  
Organization
(in the United
States of America)
ARA
ARA Books From Dust to Snow: Bushfaller and From Dust to Snow: The
African Dream have been used for leisure, as a transitional resource, as
academic texts, and have been sited in academic journals. We plan to revisit
some Dust to Snow stories published in From Dust to Snow: Bushfaller and
From Dust to Snow: The African Dream?  We will also publish current
transitional experiences. The aim is to continue to learn from one another’s
stories, share some laughs, and better equip those who support others in
their transitional phase.
UCHE’S STORY
By Lindsay Weaver, ARA Corp Writer

Not expecting to receive an interview, Uche applied to the University of Central
Florida as one of her “dream schools.”  

She said she learned about UCF’s medical program after she had sent in
most of her primary applications, so she was shocked to receive an invitation
for a secondary application and an interview.

“I took the interview convinced I was doing it only to cover all my bases and
that nothing would come of it,” she said.

However, less than two weeks after the interview, she received an
unexpected call from the admissions office to inform her that she was wanted
as one of the school’s first 40 medical students.
“In my mind, it's hard to logically reason how I ended up here,” she said.

Uche had known that she would one day become a doctor even as she
attended elementary school in Lagos, Nigeria.

One of six children, Uche grew up in a place where three meals a day is a
luxury. She said that alone served as motivation to work hard and be diligent.

After joining her family in the United States around the age of 16 and then
taking a year off, Uche took a stab at the U.S. school system.

She prepared on her own for the SAT, not being able to afford to be a part of
any prep courses.

She scored well enough for college applications but soon realized she could
not afford to apply to many colleges. She found herself very thankful to be
accepted to East Carolina University.

Having no American high school background, it was difficult for her to secure
a scholarship in the first few years of college. Meanwhile, her parents could
no longer afford to help with tuition costs, so Uche relied on federal grants
and loans.

During the summer before her junior year, she participated in a research
program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was exposed to several
different career courses & networking opportunities.

“That summer was pivotal to the course of my college career because it
changed the way I thought of the process of education,” she said. “It
reminded me of the reason I was very passionate about a career in medicine
and opened my mind to all the opportunities I could take advantage of.”

She returned to ECU and withdrew from the MD/7 program she had been
enrolled in. She spent a year serving as the president of the African Students’
Organization at the school and graduated in the traditional four years.

During the next year, and soon after the 2007 U.S. economic collapse, Uche
struggled to find work but diligently submitted her medical applications.

“Somehow, it so happened that I chose to begin medical school the same
year that the UCF medical school opened its doors,” she said. “And for this
reason, my advice to anyone out there is to put God first, work hard and plan
your future the way you want it.”

But, she added, “Don’t be surprised when things happen without plan or
reason. Recognize that there’s something bigger than you at work. Work
hard, but do not be resistant to change.”

She also reflected on the importance of finding a city and school that she truly
loves.

“Find and choose the place where you fit in,” she said. “Search for whatever it
is that motivates you.”

She especially likes to stay involved with anything that keeps her in-touch with
Africa, such as ARA.

“It keeps me grounded in my culture, which I do not want to lose,” she said.

She knows her involvement in the non-profit also helps to enlighten others
about the African continent, cultures and people.

“And perhaps more importantly,” she said, “it always gives rise to
opportunities to give back to our people in whatever capacity that I can.”
From Dust to Snow - Live and Learn.
Live and Learn
"Facilitating a globally beneficial  African Renaissance"