http://www.naijafeed.com/naijafeed/2011/5/12/15-year-old-nigerian-teenager-gets-admission-to-harvard.ht
Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 9:07AM 
A 15 year old Nigerian girl has been offered admission to the prestigious Harvard University in United States of America, She is Saheela Ibraheem, 15 year old daughter of a Nigerian immigrant family living in New Jersey, United States. The Harvard University new intake is the latest media sensation.
Since news broke about Saheela's incredible acceptance to 13 of American's prestigious Universities, local and International media have taken interests in the teen's success story.
A source at Wardlaw-Hartridge high school, who fears that media interests in the young Nigerian-American is fast becoming overwhelming and could be a distraction during her upcoming exams said that about a dozen media organizations are schedule for possible interviews with Saheela. According to the source "She [Saheela] is amazing and because she is well spoken, media organizations wanted to have live interviews with her".
In 2010, Saheela applied to 14 schools that includes some of America's Ivy Leagues. All, but Yale, offered her admission. This includes, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Williams College, Stanford, University of Chicago, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis and Harvard, which she settled on after a convincing visit to the university's campus. In an interview with Fox 5, New York, Saheela's mother, Shakirat, attributes her daughter's academic success to her interest in learning and knowing more. According to Shakirat,"When you teach her 1, 2, 3 she wants more,... When you teach her 1 through 5, she'd say how about this."
Her dad, Sarafa, a graduate of Nigeria's own ivy school, University of Ibadan, is a financial analyst and vice president at a major Financial group in New York
Besides her academic excellence, Saheela actively plays soccer, softball and the trombone. Nigerians have reacted to the good news. Bukky Adekanbi, a Nigerian residing in New York said.
"It is always joyful to hear that Nigerians are doing great things around the world regardless of how bad some international media tries to portray us. We Nigerians here in America are proud of Saheela and her parents,"
Saheela who plans to study neuroscience or neurobiology - scientific study of the nervous system. said "It all comes down to the support I've had at home, from my parents, even my brothers being there every step of the way."
Vanguard
Related stories: Video - University in Canada high acceptance rate for Nigerians despite tough immigration
Chimamanda Adichie at 2009 TED Conference
Thursday
May12 2011
15 year old Nigerian teenager gets admission to Harvard
Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 9:07AM A 15 year old Nigerian girl has been offered admission to the prestigious Harvard University in United States of America, She is Saheela Ibraheem, 15 year old daughter of a Nigerian immigrant family living in New Jersey, United States. The Harvard University new intake is the latest media sensation.
Since news broke about Saheela's incredible acceptance to 13 of American's prestigious Universities, local and International media have taken interests in the teen's success story.
A source at Wardlaw-Hartridge high school, who fears that media interests in the young Nigerian-American is fast becoming overwhelming and could be a distraction during her upcoming exams said that about a dozen media organizations are schedule for possible interviews with Saheela. According to the source "She [Saheela] is amazing and because she is well spoken, media organizations wanted to have live interviews with her".
In 2010, Saheela applied to 14 schools that includes some of America's Ivy Leagues. All, but Yale, offered her admission. This includes, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Williams College, Stanford, University of Chicago, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis and Harvard, which she settled on after a convincing visit to the university's campus. In an interview with Fox 5, New York, Saheela's mother, Shakirat, attributes her daughter's academic success to her interest in learning and knowing more. According to Shakirat,"When you teach her 1, 2, 3 she wants more,... When you teach her 1 through 5, she'd say how about this."
Her dad, Sarafa, a graduate of Nigeria's own ivy school, University of Ibadan, is a financial analyst and vice president at a major Financial group in New York
Besides her academic excellence, Saheela actively plays soccer, softball and the trombone. Nigerians have reacted to the good news. Bukky Adekanbi, a Nigerian residing in New York said.
"It is always joyful to hear that Nigerians are doing great things around the world regardless of how bad some international media tries to portray us. We Nigerians here in America are proud of Saheela and her parents,"
Saheela who plans to study neuroscience or neurobiology - scientific study of the nervous system. said "It all comes down to the support I've had at home, from my parents, even my brothers being there every step of the way."
Vanguard
Related stories: Video - University in Canada high acceptance rate for Nigerians despite tough immigration
Chimamanda Adichie at 2009 TED Conference
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (2)