AUN holds fair, celebrates best graduate, Onyinye
The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has held its first Fair to attract prospective students while celebrating its best graduate of 2017, Ms Immaculata Onyinye Onuigbo in Abuja last weekend.
The fair hosted by the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation provided an opportunity for young people to learn about its scholarships.
Onyinye who is one of the 24 merit scholars of the Yar’Adua Foundation recently emerged as the 2017 Valedictorian as a Petroleum Chemistry graduate from AUN.
In her advice to the prospective students, she challenged them to be resilient and develop a passion for the course they have chosen.
“If you have passion or love what you are studying, it won’t be a challenge to you and success will come your way,” she said.
The Director General of the Foundation, Mrs Jacqueline Farris who explained the merit scholarship said, 24 exceptional graduating pupils were picked from schools across the country since 2005 and were enrolled in AUN Academy for their secondary education.
She said upon graduation, 12 were enrolled into AUN and the 12 others into federal universities in Nigeria. Three of those in AUN graduated recently with Onyinye emerging as the overall best of the university for 2017, Mrs. Farris said.
The Merit Scholarship was conceived by Hajiya Binta Yar’Adua (wife of Late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua), a board member of the Foundation, while the scholars were sponsored through the Foundation’s endowment fund.
Upon graduation, they await placement for their one year National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), she noted.
Assistant Vice President for Recruitment and Marketing, Julius Ayuk Tabe said the Fair was a platform for people seeking information about academic opportunities in the technology-intensive university.
“Learning in the 21st century is a shared experience within and outside the classroom. Our students want to display a whole range of AUN’s out-of-classroom digital resources which define, in character and content, the perfect trend of resource personality,” he explained.
Some of the secondary school students in attendance including those from the AUN Academy told YOUTHVILLE they will love to be admitted into the university with some noting that would achieve a feat greater than that of Immaculate, the best graduate of 2017.
AUN President, Dr. Dawn Dekle lauded the Yar’Adua Foundation for initiating such long term scholarships for gifted students as part of contributing to the development of the country.
She said the success of the university lies in professionalism and its distinct style of pushing students towards academic excellence.
Dr. Dekle challenged other universities to adopt the model if they want to produce more world class graduates.
The President who assumed office recently assured of working with the university team to build of the foundations already laid adding through the ‘shared governance’ approach which she said entails that everyone including the students contributed to the process of decision making.