18yr-old Ondo girl is valedictorian at US varsity

THE internet is currently abuzz with the news of 18-year-old Boubini Jones-Wonni, a Nigerian girl from Ondo State.

Miss Boubini Jones-Wonni emerged the best graduating student and valedictorian in her class at Miles College, Metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America, USA

She was given an Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and graduated on May 5, 2018, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology

Upon her graduation, Boubini Jones-Wonni has been granted admission to the Howard University College of Medicine to continue her medical training towards becoming a physician/medical doctor.

Boubini Jones-Wonni, an Ijaw from Arogbo in the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo state, was born to the family of Dr. and Mrs. Jones Wonni.

While in Nigeria she was a beneficiary of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, a special education scholarship programme for Niger Delta students under the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs before proceeding to the U.S.A to study Medicine.

Boubini was admitted to Miles College aged 15 for her Premed programme in Biology. While in Miles College, her exceptional performance informed her emergence as the President of the Honors group, a special group of high achieving students.

She was also said to be very active in extracurricular activities, and was the Secretary of Finance in the Student Government Association. Not surprising she eventually graduated emerged as the best graduating student and class valedictorian.

The Special Education Scholarship Programme which helped her study at the Miles College is a programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria to support the oil-rich region of the Niger Delta. It was flagged-off by the Government of President Goodluck Jonathan from when Boubini was drafted in as a beneficiary.

The current government, under the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, has equally put modalities in place to ensure the funding for her medical programme is provided.

Boubini is due to start at Howard University College of Medicine in July 2018 during Fall.

Miss Jones-Wonni got her admission in 2014 after making the best result in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, SSCE, at the Word of Faith Group of Schools in Abuja. She was also the best student then at the age of 14.

She was one of the children from the Niger-Delta states that took part in a special examination conducted by KAPLAN in Lagos to select the best to study in the university under the PAP, by a former Coordinator and Adviser on the PAP to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Hon. Kingsley Kuku.

She was initially granted admission by the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, at age 15 to study Medicine, but could not make it to the school due to late resumption.

Boubini therefore settled for Miles College in Alabama to pursue her first degree in Biology.

Born on October 23, 1999, she started her education at Banky’s Private School in Abuja, where because of her intelligence, she was asked to enroll for the common entrance at primary three.

She made the best result, and was admitted into the Word of Faith Group of Schools in Abuja, where she the 2013/2014 Senior Certificate Examination (SSCE) and had an outstanding result with ‘As’ and ‘Bs’ in all her subjects.

She was quoted as saying: “I want to express my gratitude to God and then to the Federal Government through the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, to avail me of this opportunity to gain admission into Miles College in Alabama to pursue my first degree in Biology.

“Today, I have successfully completed the programme, I thank God for being with me throughout the programme, and He crowned my effort. I was not expecting this but I thank God.”

Boubini hopes to become a trained neurologist and surgeon someday.

Credit: Eurikaposts.com