Alumni Feature: Celebrating Marvin!

You’re looking at Marvin Onwukwe, a PhD student in Biochemistry, molecular and structural biology at UCLA! He was our headboy and graduated in 2019. You’ll be thrilled (and encouraged) to learn of the outstanding things he’s been up to! There’s also top advice for students, so please read the entire interview. He also loved breaktime chapatis!

BISA: What have you been up to since BISA?

Marvin: Since graduating from Braeburn Arusha, I enrolled at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. I have kept up my usual habits of being involved academically and participating in volunteer work and other extracurriculars. I am a McNair Scholar, LSAMP researcher, sports medicine intern and current president of a minority-serving student organization at UMBC. Furthermore, I make time to compete by playing soccer on our university’s club team yet still be fortunate to explore the United States and other countries while maintaining my relationship with home, visiting Nigeria and Tanzania as often as I can.

BISA: We learnt of your UCLA offer. What is it and what does this mean for you?

Marvin: I am quite fortunate to share that I have been admitted to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for my PhD. Immediately after attaining my Bachelor’s degree I’ll begin my doctoral, research-based degree in the Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology (BMSB) program at UCLA. This achievement has been a culmination of all the encouragement I’ve been able to maintain from my family and friends since prior to relocating to USA. I recognise that my current institution, UMBC, produces more black M.D. and Ph. D. degree-earners than any other college in the country and acted upon the support available for me to achieve higher education. The combination of efforts from the McNair Scholar’s Program, the LSAMP Program, National Science Foundation research experience, and traveling to conferences have been highly pivotal in my career so far.

What this offer means for me is that I have the opportunity to represent the values of the communities that shaped me in the work that I do during my higher education. This offer is a reflection of the quality of immeasurable support I’ve had from my family, especially from my parents. It’s a reflection of how fortunate I have been to have amazing influences through my upbringing.

BISA: If you could go back in time and change something about your school life (could be academic or personal decisions) what would it be? Or if you had a chance to give advice to a current student, what would you say to them?

Marvin: I’m grateful to say that for the most part, things went well for me at Braeburn so I wouldn’t change much. Everyone has intuition, so trust in your ability to figure out what’s best for you but this advice is what I’ve found to be useful.

• Be open to new experiences yet be honest with yourself and self aware so that you spend your efforts being successful in areas you’re genuinely interested in.
• Never spend your time dwelling on doubt. Always think positively and ambitiously because people who think ‘I can’ and people who think ‘I can’t’ are usually both right.
• Treat yourself and others with kindness. We all have rough days, it’s in those moments where you especially appreciate the goodness of others and discover your own strength as you figure out how to rise higher from whatever challenges you face.
• Investing in yourself is important, so emphasize building your confidence and charisma by taking on things outside your comfort zone. These qualities are endlessly helpful and applicable in all other areas of your life.
• Lastly, if there was one thing I could’ve changed during my time at Braeburn it would be learning how to be great with time management. I believe I would’ve been more successful overall if I’d practiced this better. If you take a bit of time to plan out your schedule you can intentionally accomplish so much more and make flexibility in your time for fun.

BISA: Did anything you did in BISA prepare you for the life you’re living now?

Marvin: Many things I did at BISA helped me get into the position I find myself in now. When I attained my LAMDA Public Speaking certification it added to my ability to address an audience and feel confident in social situations which was useful for networking. Playing multiple sports along with other extracurriculars taught me to be disciplined while having fun. Traveling during tournaments domestically and internationally exposed me to an expansive sphere of friends from varying cultures which helped me have a better understanding of the world through exposure.

Participating in the East Africa Model United Nations conference in Nairobi was great exercise in learning how to talk about solutions to real world phenomena. Being in that environment helped me feel more comfortable speaking to leaders in my environment. This contributed to enriching, successful conversations with my university’s president Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby and when I briefly met with the honorable Governor of Maryland Wes Moore among many inspiring figures throughout my time in University.

BISA: Any fond memories of school?

Marvin: Too many to list them all. I remember the school performances and showcasing our work by traveling to different cities. It was a fun way to meet new people and get rid of stage fright. I miss the inter house competitions, (Kili is always gonna be the best house). I miss greeting the drivers and all the staff every day coming into school. I particularly enjoyed getting chapati during break time, it would make my mornings.

THANK YOU MARVIN! We are so proud of your achievements!