Nigerian native overcomes: obstacles to graduate from nursing program.

Nigerian native overcomes: obstacles to graduate from nursing program. FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Next to a kitchen table scattered withhomework in his modest Flint apartment, Tunde Akindele is worlds apartfrom the life he once knew in Nigeria. There, he was a bank executive, owned a five-bedroom home anddidn't speak with an accent. Starting over in America meant leaving behind close friends,working as a security guard to pay bills, and--at age 45--enrolling incollege with English reading and writing skills that were at aneighth-grade level. His reason is simple: "We came here so our children could havea good education." But the Nigerian native never imagined going to school too--afive-year journey strewn strew?tr.v. strewed, strewn or strewed, strew��ing, strews1. To spread here and there; scatter: strewing flowers down the aisle.2. with roadblocks that paid off as he graduatedwith honors from Mott Community College's nursing program. "In Nigeria, college is really only meant for the rich,"he said. The reality of living in the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. has been far different. "Everyone thinks America is made of gold, that you get hereand turn into a millionaire overnight," he said. The father of three still remembers one of his first classes atMCC (The Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation, Austin, TX) The first high-tech research and development consortium in the U.S., created in 1982 by leading companies within the electronics industry. . "I didn't understand what the teacher was saying,"said Akindele, 51. "A lot of times, I had to ask other people,'Did she tell us there was an assignment?'" He spent every semester se��mes��ter?n.One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year.[German, from Latin (cursus) s cramming The unauthorized addition of services to your telephone bill such as an 800 number that you never ordered. The charges are usually noted on the bill, but are identified in a cryptic manner and/or are printed in a place that is easy to overlook. See slamming. in rigorous science and mathclasses, studying on nights and weekends and completing requiredclinical rotations at hospitals--all the while taking English courses. "He really did have so much stacked against him when he camehere but he overcame all those things," said Madonna Carpenter,MCC's special populations coordinator. "His grades have alwaysbeen top notch, he took advantage of every opportunity that wasavailable to him and he never quit. "He's always so positive and didn't let any of thebarriers stop him." And now the one-time bank manager is preparing to become aregistered nurse, a profession not culturally acceptable for most men inhis home country. "I feel accomplished," he said with a smile. "I canadequately provide for my family and am able to help other people. Thesatisfaction of working in a hospital and helping someone's life,that is very rewarding." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I didn't spend all that time studying because of thegrades," he added. "I had a lot to cover and I wanted to learneverything. One simple mistake can change someone's life." Akindele was inspired to go into nursing after taking care ofelderly people at a nursing home "who told me stories and made melaugh." Some of them thanked him for how much he had helped and told him heshould go back to school. "In the bank (in Nigeria), you had the power to make or breaksomeone's business. There was a lot of greed and corruption. It wasall about money," he said. "'Helping people makes mehappy. I'm at peace here. "You have to stay focused on what you want to do in life. Themore you put into anything, the more you get out of it." And Tunde, who graduates with an GPA GPAabbr.grade point averageNoun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted above 3.0, is paving the wayfor his family. Daughter Olajumoke, 19, is at the University of Michigan-Flint HistoryThe history of the University of Michigan-Flint began in 1944, when the Flint Board of Education requested that a University of Michigan Extension Office open in Flint. hoping to go into dentistry and son Olawale, 22, has shared the MCCcampus with his dad where he is studying accounting. The two have even had a business class together. "I let them know I have reached a new height and now they needto do more than me," Akindele said. "I tell them they need towork harder than I did. This is all for them. That's why we arehere." Akindele, who has also has a 5-year-old daughter Olabisi, said inNigeria his children could have attended college, but it would have beenvery expensive, with no clear end in sight. Colleges are often shut downover wage disputes or lack of electricity--sometimes for months at atime, he said. And someday Akindele's wife Olubunmi also hopes to get achance to go to college. "In America, they want you to go to school," saidOlubunmi Akindele, a nurse's aide who said she's proud of herchildren and husband. "Here, they want you to be somebody." OBSTACLES He spent every semester cramming in rigorous math and sciencecourses, studying on nights and weekends and completing requiredclinical rotations at hospitals--all the while taking English courses. By BEATA MOSTAFAVI, THE FLINT JOURNAL This article may contain improper references to .Please help [ improve this article] by removing .