"I don't want to be identified by how much wealth I acquire but by how many young lives I affect positively"- Ms Umana on being a Mandela Rhodes Scholar

Life has taught me very important lessons and I am not where I want to be yet but I have moved to a certain level through hard work. One of the reward of such hard work is the fact that I was recently awarded the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship for my post-graduate studies. Oh well, the Division for Post Graduate Studies in the University of the Western Cape decided to interview me and I have decided to share the interview with you happy people. It’s quite a long interview but it’s worth the read. Enjoy! 

How did it feel to hear you are a Mandela Rhodes Scholar?

I had just returned from writing my first exam and was trying to have lunch when my phone rang. I saw it beep beside me and when I answered, I heard, “am I speaking to Beauty (yeah my other name is Beauty) Umana?” “Yes”, I responded. "Beauty I am calling from the Mandela Rhodes Foundation to inform you that you have been awarded the Mandela Rhodes scholarship for 2015". Oh dear! I was numb for a minute trying to take in the information.
After the phone call, I literally jumped on my friend who was with me and I could not stop screaming. My heart was beating so fast for over 10 minutes and I was literally shaking. I really could not believe my ears and could not come to terms with the fact that I actually got such a prestigious and highly competitive scholarship. I call it the reward of hard work and blessings from above. When you work so hard and that hard work gets recognized even in the least way possible, the feeling is just something else. I didn't come this far on my own though, I had amazing support from my family, friends, lecturers who took the time to mould me into this person and I can't stop thanking them. My lecturers challenged me to go beyond my limits and I am really thankful to them.

  

What are your postgrad studies all about? Are you planning on pursuing this topic/field further?

I am doing my postgraduate studies in Linguistics and it is basically about understanding how language functions and actual communicative situation. I am planning to pursue this field further because it is such a broad field that is constantly developing and I want to be part of that development.

Why did you decide to enter your particular field?

First of all, I love writing. I love words and language and what other field could I possibly be than Linguistics? It is a broad field of study and encompasses everything about language and communication. It covers everything from Discourse Analysis, Multilingualism, and Critical Media Studies to Language Pathology, Functional Grammar and so on. It allows you to diversify and doesn't confine you to a box. I hate being in a box. Linguistics gives me freedom to explore.

What is it about this field that excites you? What new developments in your field do you find the most interesting?

What excites me basically is how language works in actual communicative situations. I'm intrigued by words and the meanings attached to them. Being able to unpack the meanings attached to words is such an interesting thing to do believe me.

What do you think brought you to this point? How did you manage to excel in your studies?

Hard work definitely brought me to this point. Life experiences has taught me that hard work is everything. You can be anything you want to be in this life if you work hard and that has been my guiding principle so far. Excelling in my academics took a lot of prioritization.  I had to focus on the more important things, set goals for myself and work towards achieving them. It also took a lot of temporary “self-deprivation” because I had to cut out unnecessary socialization to create time for my studies. I tell everyone that there is time for everything; time to play and time to work and this time of my life was dedicated to my studies and I am glad I made the sacrifice. Looking back now at how far I have come and how well I have done, I am happy with myself. I have no regrets at all and I don’t think I missed out on anything that can be compared with the great opportunity that being a Mandela Rhodes Scholar affords me.

Can you tell me a bit about your background? (Where are you from? Where did you go to high school? That kind of thing.)

I am a Nigerian from Akwa Ibom State (the southern region of Nigeria) and I went to high school in Nigeria as well. I did my basic education there and my growing up was there as well. I have always been passionate about education and self-development for as long as I can remember. I remember how excited I used to be as a child about going to school. I always arrived way before time and never wanted to leave. So formal education has always been a part of me.

What do you think is the toughest challenge you’ve faced over the course of your studies?

It’s the anxiety about academic results, the anxiety about tests and assignments. People often think that taking English literature as a major is a joke but they have no idea the amount of work that it requires. Writing English literature essays have definitely been my toughest challenge and a very good one because it polished me into who I am now. However, I can tell you that it has been so worth it. The sleepless nights and self-deprivation is definitely paying off now. 

What’s the toughest challenge you’ve faced in life (so far)?

I have been through a lot of challenges and all of them I regard as stepping stones. Living life is challenging on its own but then I will say working hard for everything I want has been very challenging. I have not had anything offered to me on a platter of gold; I had to work for it if I wanted it. I am really thankful for the life I have because coming from a working class background has taught me the value of hard work, ambition and self-development. I actually consider my background a blessing because I don’t know if I would have learned all the things I have learnt if I my circumstance had been different. Having nothing teaches you to go out there and get something.

What do you do for fun?

I love to read and no not just my academic books. I read a lot of things. I just believe in the power of reading so much that I can’t see myself without books. I also write for fun. Writing is a form of healing and expression for me. It gives me the freedom to express my thoughts and feelings. I love listening to music too because it gives me the same peace and calm I get from writing and reading. I love to dance as well (of course if I love music I should love dancing too)

Do you have any role models or heroes or folks that you admire or would like to acknowledge?

Oh yes definitely! My mum is my everything. She is my motivation, my driving force, my inspiration. I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people in this life and they have contributed to my life in one way or the other and I can’t thank them enough. I would like to acknowledge all my lecturers in the English department and Linguistics department as well. I would also like to acknowledge Alice W. and Meg V. for their immense support throughout the years. 

What are your dreams? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to work so hard and improve myself to a level that I can be a mirror to young people who may have found themselves in similar circumstance like mine. As a Nigerian, when you come from a working class family like mine, all you have is yourself. You literally have to work hard to get to where you want to be because nothing will get handed to you on a platter of gold; you have to go out there and get it. This is something I want to teach young people. In the next ten years, I want to be in a position where I can help young people live their dreams, teach them that it is ok to have dreams and they can actualize their dreams if they work hard. I dream of affecting change in the lives of young people through my writing. I love to write and I believe words have the power to affect change in people. On a very small scale, I am doing my best to inspire young people through the articles I post on my blog. I am hoping that in the next five to ten years I will have a bigger platform and the resources to inspire a generation of young people to keep dreaming, believing in themselves and working towards achieving their dreams. I believe in a better tomorrow and that belief has been my motivation. I know that where I come from has nothing to do with where I am headed in life; hence, I refuse to be paralyzed by my circumstance. I don’t want to be identified by or remembered for how much wealth I acquire, I want to be identified by how many people I influence positively. 

keep dreaming and working hard. Please remain happy and spread happiness around. xoxo