Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first African-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
West Point, New York: On May 27th, 2023, Ijeoma Akubueze became one of the newest Second Lieutenants (2LT) of the U.S. Army having completed the rigorous 47 months academics, military programs at the United States Military Academy at West Point and commissioned into the U S Army. An Old Bridge girl born and raised, Ijeoma is the daughter of Cornelius and Angela Akubueze. Ijeoma attended Saint Thomas the Apostle School in Old Bridge for grades K-8, then attended Saint John Vianney High School in Holmdel. In high school, Ijeoma exhibited qualities of a student-athlete, playing on the varsity volleyball and track teams while taking enough dual enrollment courses to earn her associate Degree in Social Sciences from Brookdale Community College. Outside of school, Ijeoma also volunteered in many ways, such as an altar server for her Saint Thomas Parish, and studied taekwondo for over nine years.
At West Point, Ijeoma continued her servitude and extracurricular pursuits by becoming a catechism instructor and singing in the Catholic Church Choir, the Gospel Choir and West Point Glee Club. Athletically, Ijeoma briefly played on the Women’s Rugby Team and most recently competed on her cadet company’s submission grappling team, for which she was also a coach. As a developing leader, Ijeoma has taken on several major leadership roles during her time at West Point, with her most significant role being the Regimental Adjutant General for the Class of 2026’s Cadet Basic Training. Upon graduation, Ijeoma was commissioned as an Armor Officer and will begin follow-on training.
Ijeoma owes much of her success to her parents Cornelius and Angela, who are both Igbo Nigerian immigrants and long-term residents of Old Bridge NJ. Cornelius is an IT Engineer, and contractor at the Department of Defense, and Angela is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner specializing in pulmonary, geriatrics and Internal Medicine.
A community reception and well wishes for Ije’s successful completion of rigorous education at West Point is planned for July 15, 2023 in Piscataway NJ.
USAfrica congratulates Ijeoma on her successful graduation, commissioning, and for being an inspiration to other young girls.
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A very big congratulations to you Ijeoma for making yourself proud and then your parents and your nuclear family. You have actually encouraged too many young girls and especially other youths of Igbo extraction out there in the Us and everywhere around the world, that every set goals are achievable with full determination, dedication, commitment and focus.
In your capacity as a young leader in your own field and right, make sure you make yourself available to other youths that might wish to tap from your wealth of experience.
Remain blessed.