Brinkley-Lane Scholar: Leslie Uwakwe
Leslie Uwakwe is a seeker, but her anchor is well set in her family’s west African heritage and the home they have adopted in North Carolina.
Uwakwe’s parents moved to the U.S. before she was born. They have instilled a sense of duality in her, and her siblings, a result of being part of two very strong cultures. She’s Nigerian at home, but American starting in middle school and now at Heritage High School in Wake Forest.
“My family means everything to me. My culture means everything to me. It’s really shaped who I am and who I’m becoming,” Uwakwe said. At home they speak Igbo, the language of her people, and eat Nigerian food. She learned how to cook from her grandmother when she lived with the family.
Having two sisters at ECU, one in the Honors College, helped her to find her way to the Brinkley-Lane scholarship, which she calls a blessing.
Housed in the Honors College, the Brinkley-Lane Scholars is the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Both in-state and out-of-state recipients receive a fully funded education, covering the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, and high impact experiences. Included in the scholarship is the ability to explore the world and pursue additional educational opportunities with a $5,000 study abroad stipend and a $3,000 enrichment scholarship. Scholars benefit from access to an array of leadership opportunities, research with award-winning faculty and a robust alumni network.
“The scholarship is a big relief. Not only for the financial support, but the emotional support,” Uwakwe said. “I fell in love when I walked into the ballroom on Selection Sunday, seeing everyone interacting with one another. In my head I literally said, ‘This is the place I’m meant to be.’”
One of her sisters will graduate from ECU in December and the other, just a year older than Leslie, will be a sophomore when the next semester begins. Both are pursuing nursing. Her younger brother is still in elementary school.
That the three sisters are pursing nursing careers isn’t a surprise — their family is organized around service. Their mother is a social worker and father a doctor. But it’s her pre-diabetic aunt who inspired her to be a nurse.
One day they were talking and Uwakwe’s aunt said she couldn’t have fruit because her blood sugar was high. Then she proceeded to pile her plate high with rice.
“That made me notice health disparities, especially with poor health education. She knows the pills she has to take but there isn’t a person between the doctor and the prescription to tell her how she needs to take her care of herself,” Uwakwe said.
A nurse is what she needed, Uwakwe said, someone who connects the clinical with the emotional and physical.
“That’s one of the reasons I chose nursing, but I also learned about the career possibilities and financial security,” Uwakwe said.
Service takes up much of her free time, tutoring friends and family, as well as volunteering in her community and participating in church life. She held several positions in Heritage High School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and is the current president.
Uwakwe has friends from Wake Forest joining her at ECU in the fall, which will be a comfort, but what really excites her are the friendships with fellow Pirates she has yet to make. She’s taken a lot from her time at the Heritage schools, but the opportunity to be a new person — to grow, to meet new people — can’t come soon enough.
As for her future, she can see herself one day completing advanced nursing education — she’s always envisioned herself as a nurse practitioner. But for now, Uwakwe is excited to find her place at ECU and among her fellow Brinkley-Lane Scholars.
“The scholarship is a big relief. Not only for the financial support, but the emotional support. I fell in love when I walked into the ballroom on Selection Sunday, seeing everyone interacting with one another. In my head I literally said, ‘This is the place I’m meant to be.”
High school: Heritage High School
Intended major: Nursing
Current City: Wake Forest