Ijeoma Emenalo Ibeh
Ijeoma Emenalo Ibeh can be trusted. Trusted to support her family in Nigeria, trusted with customers’ financial information at her job at Sam’s Club, trusted to passionately pursue her own education, trusted to mentor children.
The death of her father when Ijeoma was 12 years old meant more than the loss of a beloved parent – it meant Ijeoma had to go to work immediately. Ijeoma carried homegrown vegetables long distances to market, to help her mother and the family make ends meet. Even with her efforts, they barely survived. She has written of those days: “We ate poverty, we drank poverty, we slept poverty.”
Ijeoma was given the opportunity for an education in the United States by her uncle and leapt at that chance with open arms, an open mind and a desire to learn.
At Richland, she was named to the President’s Honor Roll for Spring 2008 with a 4.0 GPA. She works hard to find the balance between maintaining her grades while working full-time at Sam’s helping customers open new accounts. With her earnings, Ijeoma supports herself and pays for the education expenses of her six siblings in Nigeria.
Giving freely to others is not just a family affair for Ijeoma. She volunteered through Service Learning with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a refugee resettlement agency partnering with the U.S. State Department. In her work tutoring refugee children in the after-school program, Ijeoma has made a remarkable difference in the lives of children who are often overlooked.
In her role as organizer of the Richland College African Student Union, Ijeoma has mobilized a large group of other Richland students to tutor and mentor refugee families with the IRC.
Ijeoma’s other activities and honors include participating with SaveDarfur Dallas; being honored with the Student Success Award for leadership; and belonging to Phi Theta Kappa, and the Peace and Justice Club.
Those who know Ijeoma’s radiant smile and genuine love of learning believe her future is bright.
“She will be sought after for her intelligence and her willingness to give of herself in order to benefit others,” says nominator Tara Thompson. “She has applied to Columbia, Cornell, UT and SMU. I believe they will have to fight over her!”