Ike Ekwunife ’21 is living out a dream he’s had for nearly a decade. In 2012, he watched his cousin graduate from Tufts University. As he watched the student commencement speaker from up in the nosebleeds, he knew that someday he wanted to do just that.
“I thought to myself, ‘I want to be there and I want to do that,’ because I have a lot to say,” he said. “Being on a big platform like that and being able to share your story, your ups and downs, your trials, and things you've gone through, it means to me that I can give to people what has helped me.” The kinesiology graduate applied, and was selected, to be the SPH student speaker at the commencement ceremony on Dec 21, 2021. He will address the class of ~300 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students earning their degrees from the School of Public Health.
Ekwunife says he is particularly passionate about mental health, in part because of his own struggles with anxiety and depression.
“I'm very empathetic to people who are going through that, especially the African American youth, because I have been in their situation before,” he said. “Being able to work with and help people who are going through stuff like that is a real big passion of mine.”
Ekwunife was born in Nigeria, where he attended high school after going to preschool through middle school in the US. He’s always been drawn to sports, including basketball, swimming, track and field and gymnastics. At UMD, he’s a part of the School of Public Health’s Gymkana troupe. That love of sports is in part what drew him to kinesiology.
“I thought that the kinesiology major combined everything, sports, athletics, and getting to know the ins and outs of what rehab truly entails,” he said. “And I love all the faculty here — they're all really nice, very supportive. I like learning about the body, the anatomy, the physiology, What to do and what not to do to keep healthy. As a major, this is something I can use as a catalyst to become a physical therapist.”
One thing he wishes he could tell his early college self, Ekwunife says, is just how many people he would meet at UMD.
“I’ve met mentors, and then those mentors’ mentors,” he said. “I’ve shaken hands with a lot of people. I received so much advice and information and mentorship. My friends too: people that love me and support me. It's good to know that you have people in your corner that are willing to support and help you whenever you're in need.”
After graduation, Ekwunife will attend physical therapy school. In his career and beyond, he hopes to lead and inspire people.
“If people need help, I want to be there to do whatever I can on a grand level so I can make a global impact in the best way that I know how,” he said.
As for commencement, Ekwunife says not to expect a speech filled with cliches.
“I’m more focused on connecting with the audience and empathizing with them, what they’ve gone through not just academically but mentally as well,” he said. “That’s how I chose to attack the speech and how I choose to live my life, with empathy, kindness, compassion. My goal is to make sure that other people are okay.”