Nigerian student makes history as 3rd sister named valedictorian at Dillard University
A Nigerian woman
is following her two older sisters as valedictorian at Dillard University in
New Orleans. Stephanie Akpapuna, a Theatre Arts major from Lagos, Nigeria, has
been named valedictorian of the Dillard University Class of 2016. Akpapuna will
deliver the valedictory address at Dillard’s Commencement exercise on Saturday,
May 7.
Akpapuna is part
of a very unique family tradition at Dillard University. Both of her older sisters, Jennifer, was
valedictorian in 2004, and their sister, Merrilyn, was valedictorian in 2014. A
graduate of
Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls Secondary School in Lagos, Nigeria,
she is the daughter of Dr. Emmanuel and Rita Akpapuna
"I’m proud
and humbled by the fact that I could do my sisters proud and also keep the
legacy they started going," said Akpapuna.
"Dillard has been a wonderful experience. I’ve enjoyed my stay here and I’ve learned so
much. I would have been a number somewhere else, but at Dillard you are treated
as an individual. Here we’re so family
oriented and it’s great to have that."
After graduation,
she will attend Carnegie Mellon University where she will pursue her Master of
Fine Arts in stage and production management.
Akpapuna has been
named a Presidential Scholar and is a recipient of the Humanities Talent
Scholarship, the Ray Charles Scholarship as well as the Denzel & Pauletta
Washington Scholarship.
She is a member
of the Dean’s list and has been inducted into Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor
Society and Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society. Akpapuna is also a
participant in the Daniel C. Thompson/Samuel DuBois Cook Honors Program.
As a member of
the Theatre Department she was worked on or appeared in 14 theatrical
productions.
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