March 7, 2008
There are only 24 hours in a day. Do you use them to their fullest? Ohemaa Nyanin, a junior center on the American University women's basketball team, challenges herself everyday to do just that. The six-foot-two walk-on, who was born in Maryland but hails from a Ghanaian descent, is getting the most out of her college experience and is trying to spread as much goodwill to others while she's at it.
Nyanin has lived in four different countries growing up as a result of her father's employment with the World Bank, which is an internationally supported bank that provides loans to struggling third-world countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty.
After her birth in the United States, Nyanin moved with her family to the Philippines until she was nine years old. She spent another five-year stint back in Potomac, Md. before relocating to Zimbabwe at the age of 14. She attended high school in Zambia, where her economics teacher, Jeff Heitman, introduced Nyanin to his alma mater. And Nyanin became an Eagle.
Prior to enrolling at AU and her family's move back to the United States, Nyanin was very active in a country-wide Model of the United Nations in Zambia. Originally participating as a delegate, Nyanin was voted to hold the position of Deputy Secretary General, but was unable to fill her post due to the move. Nyanin recalls her time spent overseas and reflects on how she learned different cultures.
"I remember the campuses of the schools overseas were huge, but our classes were very small. It was isolating though, because all of the students were international kids and we had no contact with the local kids."
Seeing this as a disadvantage to allowing her to get a better understanding of the people that lived in these countries, Nyanin emerged herself into community service. She went to the local villages to play with children and also helped schools donate their old equipment to help build new schools.
"It was rewarding for me to interact with the children in the villages, because while I was doing them a service of playing with them, they were teaching me their culture," Nyanin reflected. "It was a win-win situation."
Upon arriving at AU, Nyanin submerged herself in her studies and joined multiple extra-curricular activities. She walked on the varsity basketball team halfway through her freshman year and has increased her playing time each year, earning the respect of her teammates and coaching staff.
"I've come to value Ohemma more every day," said Eagles Head Coach Melissa McFerrin. "We felt that after two years she could develop into a player we would rely upon as a low-post defender and she is now coming good on that expectation."
McFerrin was also quick to add what an asset Nyanin is off the court.
"She is a great influence in the locker room in terms of reinforcing the values of our program," McFerrin noted. "Ohemma is a great human being and is the epitome of what the word `teammate' means."
After college, Nyanin plans to attend grad school and still aspires to hold her post as Secretary General of the U.N., though not in a model.
"My ultimate goal is to become Secretary General of the United Nations", Nyanin says. "I want to be with an influential organization and help people the way my father has."
