This story is the third installment of The Hands That Built Us series. We hope to see you on October 8th where we’ll share how these stories come together.
A dream come true
Uche Ufochukwu had never played basketball until April of 2013, when her life intertwined with A2S. All the way from Benin City Nigeria, Uche traveled to the U.S. in the winter of 2014 to pursue her dreams of gaining a quality education. Just a year and a half before, she would have never imagined that basketball, a game she had never played, would be the key to finding an opportunity of a lifetime. Since then, Uche has completed an undergraduate degree in marketing and her Master’s of Business Administration focused in Human Resources. Now she works with A2S in hopes of helping kids with similar stories find success as she continues her education in pursuit of a degree in Cybersecurity.
In April of 2013, Uche was on her way to visit a friend when A2S Program Coordinator Ehis noticed the six-foot-three-inch youth as she walked by the basketball court. Ehis and Coach Victor, a local coach and volunteer with A2S, flagged her down and asked her to join the group and play basketball. Uche was interested, but needed permission from her father.
Raised in a traditional Catholic home, Uche was worried that her father would not allow her to play. He was strict with she and her sisters. To her surprise, Mr. Ufochukwu said yes, but her mother thought otherwise of the idea. Uche’s mother sold used clothing in a street stall and relied on Uche to help. She worried basketball would interfere. “I will work two straight weeks at the stall,” Uche negotiated. “After which you will buy me basketball shorts, and I will start learning to play.” After Uche fulfilled her promise, her mother saved up enough to buy her basketball shorts. Uche joined Ehis and Coach Victor on the court to begin learning basketball.
After her mother bought Uche her first basketball shorts, Ehis gave her first basketball jersey, Coach Philip, another local coach who volunteers with A2S, completed her uniform by gifting her first pair of basketball shoes. In a few short weeks, Uche was a beginner at the 2013 A2S annual basketball camp, eager and excited to learn. After camp, Uche embarked on a mission to improve her game. Every day she would work to sharpen her skills, in hopes of one day playing with the pros.
A year later, Uche was dominating the boards on the basketball court. Around camp, she encouraged her teammates when they started their games poorly. Ugo Oha, a former professional basketball player and Olympian wrote after this year’s basketball camp, “I had the pleasure of watching one player named Uche. As I watched her play, I was reminded of myself. She was filled with energy and always had a smile on her face.”
After seeing her strong character and talent on the basketball court at camp, the A2S staff met with Uche to discuss opportunities for her future. She showed up late, with sweat dripping from her clothes. “I did not have money for the bus,” she explained. “I was at the stadium running up and down the steps trying to improve on my athleticism.”
Not long after, Uche got a call that she was being selected to be an A2S U.S. Scholar “I thought it was a scam. So I was like, I’m just gonna play along because it’s not everyday someone calls me to tell me that.” After some time Uche finally realized that it may be a real offer. She told the A2S representative that her family didn’t have any money and could not even afford to go to school in Nigeria, let alone the U.S. He then mentioned that everything would be paid for. Uche felt like she was dreaming. She states, “Even now I still have to [think], wait, it just happened with that one phone call that changed [my] life”.
Uche attended ArchBishop Carroll High School for her Junior and Senior year. She then continued her education and got awarded a full scholarship to be a student athlete at Winthrop University down in South Carolina. She started off as an accounting major, but soon switched over to marketing. She says the main reason she switched majors was because she wanted to help people with developing their personal brand. Coming from Nigeria where women are easily seen as property, Uche wanted to help them see who they are and what they can accomplish. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she went on to obtain her masters in Human Resources. She chose HR so she could help give women a voice in the workplace.
Uche says being a U.S. Scholar was an opportunity of a lifetime. Going from being a dropout in Nigeria to attending a prestigious high school and then university in the United States is something that you do not see happen often. Being a U.S. Scholar has been a great experience and was the beginning of God’s story for her life.
Uche now works for A2S in the U.S. office as our Missions Program Coordinator. She now uses her knowledge to give back to the A2S community, so she can make sure the next “Uche” can receive the best. She also recently enrolled in a new program to obtain a degree in Cybersecurity.
Uche’s parents were only able to finish their primary and secondary education. With a strong character, work ethic, and a little help from A2S, Uche has had the opportunity to control her future and further her education. Her story undoubtedly has served as inspiration to her peers at home and others along the way. As she pursues her dreams, Uche understands that it will not be easy, but believes her struggles have prepared her to succeed. She is thankful to those who have set her on a path to success and who have empowered her with a rare opportunity to shape a future in which she can find success and help others like her do the same.
