A Nigerian woman has made history, becoming the first black woman to bag a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Professor Oghenetega Ighedo had her first degree at Delta State University before she obtained a master’s degree in pure mathematics from Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan.
In the 149-year existence of the University of South Africa, no black woman had completed a PhD in pure mathematics until the Nigerian academician arrived.
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The renowned Professor said her mother, a retired mathematics teacher was inspirational in her decision to study mathematics.
The mother of 3, in a post on LinkedIn, encouraged young women not to allow challenges or adversity to deter them from attaining their potential.
She said that despite being a mother of two and expecting a third child, she completed a PhD in pure mathematics within three years.
“I was inspired by my mother – a retired maths teacher. I saw the way she was going about teaching it, and when I grew older, I thought the way she did maths was interesting and I wanted to see if I could do it like her.
My decision to study pure mathematics was also motivated by the fact that not only are there few black pure mathematicians but there are fewer black women who are pure mathematicians.
I encourage young women not to let adversity and challenges deter them. When I started my PhD I was already married, I had two children and was expecting my 3rd child. In spite of being a mother and a wife, I was able to complete my PhD within three years,” she said.
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Brilliant 18-Year-old Boy Offered Admission in 27 US Universities, Wins $4M Scholarship
Meanwhile, a brilliant 18-year-old boy was offered admission into 27 US Universities.
The young boy, Jonathan Walker, is from Panama City, Florida, United States, and he graduated high school with an impressive 4.85 GPA.
Jonathan Walker also won a combined scholarship to the tune of $4 million from top universities like Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Stanford.
