Chineme: A Migrant Making Moves with Positive Impacts
Karizma B.
Wednesday 24th March 2021
Wednesday 24th March 2021
When you meet Chineme you get the impression that she sees the positive in everything. She always has ideas planned that give people a burst of happiness. Her name captures what she is like and what she does. Her full name is Chineme Chinnaya Ugbor. Chi means Spirit/God. Neme means "always up to something" or "always doing something great". Chinnaya means "spirit or heart of her father". Finally, Ugbor means "something that moves with great force, like a fast train." She is often called Chi - a nickname that friends and family have used since she was young.
Chi was 10 years old when she first moved to Vienna, Austria. She immigrated because of her father’s job. Her family’s original plan was only to stay a couple of months, but it ended up being a couple years. It was hard to leave her friends in Nigeria. Chi was excited and nervous. She would have to start living in a new place, and learning in a new school. However, true to her name, her happy spirit moved with her.
In her old school, Chi had to wear a uniform. When Chi was about to start school in Vienna, she was told that she didn’t need to wear a uniform, so she got excited. She chose to wear her favorite dress on her first day at her new school. When she got there she discovered that no one else was wearing a dress like her. The other students thought her accent was weird. She was worried that the other kids would not like her, but she quickly came up with an idea to connect with her new school community in a way that is true to her name of always being up to something.
Chi’s idea involved her new teacher whom she loved. As her teacher’s birthday neared, Chi planned a surprise party. She gave her classmates different things to do like bringing in a few decorations, bringing in food and drink and plates and cutlery. The plan was a huge success. Chi’s teacher was so happy, because none of her other students had organised a party for her before. Chi made a lot of new friends. Just like her name, Chi created something that made someone else feel very happy.
Chi is a lifelong learner. She completed her schooling at Vienna International School after 9 years, graduating in 1998. The first university she went to was the University of Virginia where she got a bachelor's degree in International Relations, focusing on African History. As a part of her studies she did a semester abroad at the University of Cape Town in 2003. Then she attended the European Peace University where she gained a Masters Degree in International Relations: Peace & Conflict Studies in 2004. Five years later she decided to study again and focused on Organisational Development at the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioural Science in Oxford.
Chi is the co-founder of Girls Gearing Up, a summer academy for girls ages 13-17. Their goal is to help girls gain more equity and become strong leaders in the future. Because usually boys become leaders. The academy is for girls to stand up for what they believe in and change the world. Chi is the perfect person to help this academy, because she has the same goals. Chi is also the co-founder of Linden Global Learning, a service for schools and families to help students with social, emotional and learning needs. Both Linden Global and Girls Growing Up were created to help children have access to education and to be their best selves.
Chi is a happy, joyful person who is continually thinking of ideas to change the world. She has learned to get past challenges and become who she is today. Chineme Chinnaya Ugbor is a caring and considerate spirit who helps people become stronger. Like her name says, she moves with great force and she also helps other people move with great force. She is a powerful leader, making a positive impact on the world.