The Missing Period: From Boarding School in Nigeria to Graduating High School at 16
On my YouTube channel, I’ve shared several videos about surviving boarding school in Nigeria and school advice for high school, community college, and university. But there’s one part of my story that I haven’t shared in full yet—the time between leaving boarding school and graduating high school at just 16 years old.
A Sudden Change
Leaving boarding school in Nigeria was a decision that felt abrupt to me at the time. It wasn’t until 2019, years later, that I had a conversation with my mom about the reasons behind this shift. I’d been frustrated and disappointed about leaving without finishing what I started, but I came to understand that it was not an impulsive decision—it was strategic and, more importantly, necessary.
When I arrived in the United States in July 2013, I only had a few weeks to choose a school to complete my secondary education. The process involved taking an exam to determine my eligibility to attend a private high school.
Honestly, I didn’t prepare for the test. In my mind, if I failed, the only option would be to go back to boarding school in Nigeria, which, at the time, seemed like a preferable option.
I wasn’t aware that public schools like Bellaire High School, where many students go on to attend Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Duke University, could be an alternative. To my surprise, after the results came in, I found out that I was eligible to attend prestigious private schools like St. Agnes Academy, an all-girls private college preparatory school. However, the idea of going to an all-girls school didn’t appeal to me, and neither did the other private school options.
Bellaire High School: Unplanned, but Necessary
Even though I didn’t want to, I had to choose a school because returning to Nigeria wasn’t an option. I cried, pleaded, and moped around, but my mom didn’t change her mind. In the end, I enrolled at Bellaire High School, a decision that would shape my academic future more than I could’ve anticipated.
When I found out I would be starting as a sophomore (2nd-year high school student), I was shocked. If I had stayed in Nigeria, I would have been a junior (3rd-year student). The idea of being "behind" was terrifying to me. But despite this hiccup, I still managed to graduate on time at 16.
If you’re curious about how I made up for the lost time and graduated early,
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