Ebizie Anuamadi, co-captain of the Georgian Court University track & field team and school record-setter in three mid-distance events, has broken the tape at many finish lines. On May 18, the social work major will cross one more—and cheering from the audience will be his parents, Chinyere and Obianyo Anuamadi, for whom he says he owes it all.
Ebizie’s family immigrated to the United States from Nigeria when he was nine. “My parents were the lucky ones,” he explains. “They were among the 50 people who won the visa lottery from the 50,000 or so that applied.” His parents sold two plots of land to afford the voyage over, just one of the sacrifices made in hope of a better life.
The first in his family to attend college, Ebizie was helped through the rigorous application process by Julie Elhers, a mentor from his church. Ebizie chose GCU because of its small class size and commitment to Mercy core values, which are very similar to those of his church. Still, as a freshman, Ebizie was unsure he’d succeed. Then he met Joyce Toll, a TRIO-Student Support Services academic support specialist, who bolstered his classwork skills and his confidence. “Ms. Toll told me, ‘college is hard, but if you put in effort, your professors will see that.”
Ebizie took her advice, often scheduling back-to-back tutoring sessions for his first two years. “College was a new environment, and having somebody willing to put time in with me allowed me to become the person I am today,” he said. Ebizie has received the GCU Department of Social Work’s Social Justice Award, has a 3.6 GPA, and serves as a mentor to other students.
Next, Ebizie will enter the Master of Social Work program at Rutgers University, with plans for an immigration policy career. “I understand what it means to come from a different country and try to assimilate culturally and academically,” he said. “It’s not easy, and while America is the land of opportunity, you have to create opportunities for yourself. I want to give the best I can to the immigrant population and have a meaningful job that’s more than a paycheck.”
This story is one in a series of feature stories focused on the Class of 2022. Story contributed by freelance writer Sheila Noonan. Photo by Joshua Tinto ’20, ’22.
