Seventeen year-old Ekene Franklin Ezeunala, who won acclaim for making the highest score of 347 in the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), is settling down at the Columbia University, New York, United States, where he is a Computer Science major. He tells of his experience in getting into the school and research plans.
Two short years after rising to fame in Nigeria as the underage pupil of Meiran Community Senior High School, Lagos, who made the highest score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME – 347), 17-year-old Ekene Franklin Ezeunala is now studying Computer Science and Applied Mathematics) at the Columbia University, New York, one of the best universities in the world, on full scholarship.
The Nation had reported his $40,000 scholarship at Academic City College, Ghana in May 2019, shortly after attaining the UTME feat weeks shy of his 15th birthday on May 27, 2019.
During a Zoom interview with The Nation on Saturday, Ekene shared how he turned down the scholarship at the Academic City Ghana, and took a risk through the United States Education Opportunity Funds Programme to apply to universities in that country. He also spoke about the learning experience, and his research interest in understanding how the computer reads languages with the hope of diversifying the languages computers can understand. Excerpts:
‘Gambling’ with Academic City $40,000 scholarship
After I graduated from Meiran Community Senior High School, Ijaiye, Lagos, I got a provisional offer of admission from Academic City College now called Academic City University College (Ghana). I deliberated on it for a while; then I prayed about it. I spoke to my parents about it, and in time I thought the best course of action will be not to continue along that line – especially because at that time, I had already received an offer of admission into US Opportunity Funds Programme. (The OFP supports brilliant but indigent students through the application for U.S. universities, including helping with scholarship applications, payment of standardised tests, and provides airfare and settling stipends for those admitted).
It was a time when we had to make a decision. We had this thing that was already certain – we had scholarship from Academic City College. That was certain. That was like sure. We had this thing that had not even materialised at the time (OFP).
It was a decision my parents reacted to nervously, because it was my decision to put Academic City College on hold. Most people think it is not wise to throw away what had a certainty and then go on to something that you dream of. I think that sometimes it is important to cautiously and, of course calculatedly, take a risk. Just take the risk and dream for the best. It also helped that I was reading Ben Carson’s book on risk at the time. That was when I made the decision. I think that the book, to an extent, helped me make that decision. I am glad I read the book.
Getting the Columbia decision
That night was a really tensed night. When I checked the decision, there is this Columbia fight song that played (sings the tune). When you see the song, you are accepted. There is this congratulations message then the song – it is like the best fight ever – “roar lion roar”. The Columbia mascot is a lion.
When I saw the message, “Congratulations, welcome to Columbia University”, I honestly did not believe it. I was like I may be in a hyperrealism dream so it is just best to sleep, wake up and process it. I did not tell my parents that night. I slept, woke up and the next day the first thing I did was to check the decision again. That morning, I did not say anything; I kept quiet. My Mum asked, “Are you sure Ekene is fine?”
Later in the afternoon, I told my Mum I got into Columbia. They were all very happy. It was a dream come true because thinking about my background, where I come from, and then coming from a public school to one of the best schools in the U.S. is a huge privilege.
Learning experience at Columbia University
Overall, it has really been inspirational. Some elements of the school motivate me to work harder; motivate me to recognise where I am.
For example, the Physics class I had two days ago was in the Pupin Physics Laboratory. The very place where we had the class was where we had the development of the theoretical conceptions of the ideas of the laser; where the atom was first split into two components.
So being in this kind of environment where scientific discoveries have been made; where milestones have been reached – those experiences kind of motivate me; make me recognise where I am; recognise my standing. Then add the community and everything in there; it is really, really amazing.
Over here, there is the huge priority given to practicality. Like instead of just focusing on the theoretical ways of doing stuffs, the focus is more towards the practical – how these works are being done; how what you have learnt influences the way you think about the world; and how can you develop your own framework to think about these things based on those frameworks that have been granted you by other people who are already proficient in the academic conversation.
One thing that Columbia really hammers on is to learn how to be critical of the world; to think about the world; to interpret things in ways that a conventional person wouldn’t. The focus is more towards conversation – not just relying on what already exists, defining new patterns of thoughts for yourself and using those patterns of thoughts to formulate your kind of reasoning; your kind of logic. And I think that is a good thing because it really sharpens your thinking faculty and it makes you more capable to deal with unprecedented situations.
What Lagos (Nigeria) can do differently
I would say that what the Lagos State government should do if they can and if it is practicable, I do not know if it is practicable because I am speaking from my experience. I would say it should not focus on – like this is the accepted standard. A lot of what we do is based on standardisation and that is good if it helps you communicate across a larger community. Sometimes I think it is really important in the learning process for you to take a step back and just think about everything from the perspective of ‘this is your view point’; you are coming with your view point and you have all of these. You are armed with information of what has happened in the past and now, you are left to construct your own view of what will happen in the future so that the students will learn to think for themselves.
That is something I really think should be inculcated – not just only what is in the syllabus (but) the way class discussions are held. Exams should not be about writing down things you have learned in class. It should be about you taking things that you have learnt in class, thinking about them and writing down your thoughts about these things you have learnt; not necessarily what you have learnt. It is not like computer system that just got information and then downloads it.
I think that it would be better if the government focuses more on – and when I say the government – I mean like the implementation of this procedure, the syllabus, the teaching material. The teachers should focus more on helping the students think for themselves not just giving them information and requiring them to copy down this information in an exam. The world changes very quickly. You have to be adaptive and the only way you can be adaptive is by actually knowing how to think for yourself on how to create your own pattern of thought. I think it is something that the state government can implement from primary and secondary and tertiary levels of education from the state and country in general.
About being ‘denied’ admission in Nigeria due to age
I would say that my perspective is limited to my experience. This is a policy matter. I think it is unfair to generalise such a restriction to everyone because people have different background.
And, then, you think about alternative, and there does not seem to be an alternative. You cannot keep considering every person who is not at that age requirement and discard them individually. In general, I am in no position to say what should be done.
But that aside, I am glad that I did not go to college once I graduated because the years I have spent in that interval have helped me mature. I can say I have discovered myself more.
I think, of course, I am still developing. I am sure that Columbia is going to play a huge part in my development.
Research interest
Right now, I have a huge interest in research and learning new things you discover on your own and no one else knows about in the world from all generations in the past, like Andrew Wiles who solved the Fermat’s last theorem relying on methods of elliptic curves. I am just imagining how he must have felt when he completed it. It was something no one could prove for 400 years.
I am definitely passionate about maths – the way mathematics can be applied to computer science generally. I hope to conduct research along those lines. But something I could say in the field of computer science, I am looking forward to natural language processing and artificial intelligence in general. Natural language processing is understanding the way computers interpret languages because we have abstract language. I think I would like to (research this) because in most of the technologies that are developing today are heavily focused on Western language. I hope to break it down to something older people can familiarise themselves with, something they can adapt to. So, I hope to develop something that will make technology more accessible to people in Nigeria.
Gratitude To Supporters
Without the OFP, I can tell you categorically, I would be nowhere. The OFP really helped me make this a possibility. People should really take advantage of the OFP. Even when you get on it, you have to be proactive.
I would like to reiterate my gratitude to EducationUSA, particularly my two advisors, Mrs. Chinenye Uwadileke and Mrs. Adeola Adejumobi.
I am grateful to Lagos State in general (for everything, especially the honour granted to me and others and my school, Meiran Community Senior High School specifically for giving me a first stepping stone to even experience what education is like in a different country. I am also grateful to everyone who has instructed me in a teaching capacity, and to the wonderful community of individuals I was privileged to meet in my school and in the section of the Lagos State secretariat in charge of administering competitions.
Source: Nation
