Dr. Tochukwu and Mrs. Uchechukwu Anyaduba Establish KGI Scholarship Fund for International Students of African Descent, Pledging $25,000

Uchechukwu “Uche” Anyaduba, PhD ’24, and her husband, Dr. Tochukwu “Dubem” Anyaduba, PhD ’21, have established a scholarship fund to give back to Keck Graduate Institute (KGI). Starting in fall 2023, the couple will begin a five-year pledge totaling $25,000 to support international students of African descent with demonstrated financial need. 

Students at both the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences and the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences are eligible. The Anyadubas have committed to an annual gift of $2,500. Dubem’s employer, Abbott Laboratories, will match this amount on a 1:1 basis ($2,500). 

Gabriel Hernandez, KGI’s Annual Giving Officer, shared,

“The generosity displayed by Dr. and Mrs. Anyaduba exemplifies the power of giving and its profound impact on students’ lives. Their support of international students at their alma mater, KGI, represents a remarkable commitment to fostering opportunity and empowering those in need.”

The Anyadubas, originally from Nigeria, understand firsthand the transformative effect of financial aid. They also understand the unique obstacles that international students face while navigating a new country, culture, and academic system.

“KGI’s curriculum comes with intense rigor,” Uche said. “Imagine if this academic pressure is further compounded by the constant concern of financing one’s tuition, housing, and other expenses. International students face additional constraints during term-time as they are prohibited from seeking employment besides the limited on-campus positions.”

Furthermore, these on-campus positions only cover basic living expenses.

“Fortunately, the financial aid that KGI offered my husband and I helped to alleviate the burden of having to worry about tuition and enabled us to focus on our studies and other extracurricular activities,” Uche said. “For that, we are very grateful.”

Lifting this burden allows more time for personal growth, professional development, internships, research, and leadership opportunities. 

The Anyadubas have experienced the generosity of others in multiple ways. 

Students must acquire a case study pack in Dr. Steven Casper’s Introduction to Bioscience Industries.

“My friend—who is also an international student—and I couldn’t afford it, so we approached Dr. Casper and explained our situation,” Uche said. “He decided to gift us the textbook. As a result, I had extra time to focus on my studies and prepare for each class. These acts of generosity were a powerful motivation for me to give back.”

In Africa specifically, many individuals encounter financial barriers that hinder them from pursuing higher education. Over 30% of Africa’s population lives on the international poverty line.

While working in remote villages in Nigeria as a field engineer, Dubem had the opportunity to interact with many of these individuals on a personal level.

“You see a lot of suffering, but at the same time, you see a lot of potential,” Dubem said. “One tool that helps people to become emancipated from this situation is education, but many people cannot afford that.”

He has experienced this challenge firsthand. In the first year of his undergraduate education, he dropped out because he could not afford necessities such as food and housing, let alone tuition.

“When I told a group of students in my church, Living Christ Mission, that I was leaving, they rallied around me and told me that the only thing I should worry about is my education,” Dubem said. “They made sure that I ate every day and co-opted a professor to ensure my tuition was paid. These people laid the foundation.”

Later, he secured a full scholarship from the University of Westminster for his master’s program in the UK, which covered all of his expenses.

“All I know was that someone read my personal statement and believed my dream was valid,” Dubem said. “I’m here today because of the opportunities given to me.”

Now, he wants to give this same opportunity to those in Africa. As unemployment rates and inflation rise, many young people no longer see the value in education.

“What we want to do with this gift is to demonstrate to anybody from Africa—from remote villages, slums, from anywhere—that their dream is valid and that education is still the key to a successful life,” Dubem said. “Uche and I do not come from rich families, so we hope that by sharing our stories, it serves as encouragement that you can do whatever you put your mind to. No matter the challenges, your future is still bright. Just embrace education.”

His goal is to eventually return to Africa to teach and conduct translational research that impacts his community. His father was a teacher, and Dubem taught high school and undergraduate students in Nigeria and the US. 

“I learned that the best way to retain knowledge is to teach it to someone else,” Dubem said. “When I return to Africa, I will bring my industry and academia experience that I’ve gained from developed countries to the classroom to demonstrate how to solve our problems creatively and inexpensively.”

He believes that the most effective solutions for Africa’s challenges come from those who have grown up on the continent and have an intimate understanding of the culture. All of this demonstrates his conviction in the transformative power of education. 

The Anyadubas hope their charitable contribution to KGI will inspire others to give back and invest in a student’s future.

“This doesn’t just apply to individuals like us who have received financial aid in the past, but also to people that have the resources but don’t know what to invest in,” Uche said. “This is a call to them that there are people out there who need a lift, and your contribution would mean a lot.”

They also emphasize that no contribution is too small.

“Many people think you need to be a millionaire or be retired before you can contribute to another person’s growth, but that’s not true,” Dubem said. “Every little bit helps.”

Helping international students of African descent to finance their KGI education has a ripple effect, benefiting the healthcare and applied life sciences industries, where more diversity is greatly needed.

“As their contributions create positive change throughout the educational landscape, it is hoped that their story will inspire others to make a difference and transform the lives of deserving students,” Hernandez said. “The Anyadubas make the world a better place through their selflessness, one pledge at a time.”

For more information about how to donate to KGI, you can contact Gabriel Hernandez by email at ghernandez@kgi.edu.