Meet Nigerian lady, Chigoziem Emereuwa who survived a car accident that claimed the lives of her entire family and is now set to graduate with a PhD in Pure Mathematics at just 27.
On why she chose to study mathematics, Chigo said;
‘I am not one of those who realised their passion for numbers at a young age. I always wanted to be a chemistry lecturer just like my mum so I planned to study Chemistry in University. I was only 15 when I finished high school and began my university education so when it became time to choose a discipline, my family narrowed it down to Banking and Finance, Mathematics and Geography.
I did well in Mathematics but I thought that was normal for every student and Geography was because the environment always fascinated me and I had sworn to travel so I could see more. I chose Mathematics eventually because it was one of the few subjects that didn’t bore me and I thought it would give me a wider career option in the future. I credit my family for helping me understand my strengths and weaknesses
Her life however changed on the night she lost her entire nuclear family. On the 17th of August 2001, whilst traveling with her parents, siblings and one of her aunts for her Mum’s sister’s wedding, their vehicle got hit by a truck. No member of her family made it to the hospital as they died in the accident.
“I only remember being in the back seat, playing a travel game with my sister and then waking up in hospital. I don’t recall any form of PTSD as my paternal family made sure I wasn’t alone, I didn’t even get a chance to mourn properly. It seemed like the loss hit my aunts more than it did me so I had to be strong.
However, my grades did go down and my mom was no longer there to push me. I felt no urge to work hard since I had learnt that you could lose everything in a second so, why bother?” She said.
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