The spring 2015 intake at the American University of Nigeria have been charged to key into the University’s unfolding transformation story. President Margee Ensign welcomed the entering students, the class of 2018, at their formal induction and pledge ceremony held at the auditorium of the Dr. Robert E. Pastor Library & E-Learning Center.
The President reflected on AUN’s unfolding legend, from being the only African university represented at the Hult Prize competition in Dubai, to winning an honorary award last semester at the Model UN Conference in Washington D. C. and winning a leadership award this year, also in the United States capital.
She further reminded the entering students about the critical time Nigeria is facing, seeing it as an opportunity to build leaders who will analyze and solve the challenges that will face Africa’s largest country in the years ahead.
“We are here as a community of passionate individuals, a development university, to give you the knowledge needed to lead Nigeria in this critical moment.”
She further tasked the students to make a difference in their classrooms and community, being aware of the conflict and poverty Nigeria faces.
She spoke passionately about the power of education to transform lives and the mind and to empower people. She mentioned a quote she had adopted as a favorite, one given by one of the 21 Chibok schoolgirls enrolled at AUN under a scholarship. The quote: “Education gives me the wings to fly, power to fight, and the voice to speak”, President Ensign said, represents the embodiment of true transformation of the human spirit through education.
Academic Vice President, Provost Charles Reith, described the American-style pedagogy as one that “musters critical thinking, analyzes ideas, and articulates information clearly.” He explained that this opens them to a broader and multidimensional understanding of the world. “At AUN, instructors are the best instructors Nigeria has to offer today. In order to reciprocate, the new students should be enthusiastic in learning and value every opportunity to fill all the gaps of knowledge.”
The Vice President of Campus Life and Dean Student Affairs, Byron Bullock, gave his traditional motivational speech encouraging the new students to embrace the challenges and learn from life’s lessons. “The road is not supposed to be easy, but the journey is worth it.”
President of AUN Honor Society, Ms. Hephzber Obiorah, and the President of Society for Ethics & Leadership (SEAL), Ms. Blessing Douglas, both encouraged the new students to work towards becoming part of the AUN success story. Ms. Obiorah noted that the survival of Nigeria as a country rests on their (students’) shoulders, but not until they gain proper and fundamental training.
“You should apply yourselves diligently to your studies and engage in extracurricular activities that will be beneficial,” said Ms. Douglas.
Reassuring parents and new students on their choice of the American style of education offered at AUN, Assistant Vice President, Recruitment & Marketing, Mr. Linus Ikyurav, pledged to honor their choice of AUN by providing the tools that will aid their children become better future leaders.