President Barack Obama recognises the achivement of a Nigerian teenager Saheela Ibraheem

Saheela Ibraheem with Mr and Mrs Barack Obama

                       

During a White House official reception last Thursday, Feb., 26, in honor of Black History Month, nearly 300 civil rights, faith and education leaders attended. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were introduced by 19 year-old, Nigerian, Saheela Ibraheem, a young woman with a great story herself. Here she was, introducing the President and the First Lady. She is truly a special young woman.
When it was time several years ago in mid-2011, Saheela Ibraheem, 19, had choose from 14 prestigious colleges, including MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Brown, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Chicago. She took the advice of her 7-year-old brother, who himself has dreams of being admitted to Harvard one day. Since that time, Saheela Ibraheem has been noticed, and has been listed among the "World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers." Saheela Ibraheem is passionate about many things, "especially" math and science, believes that if one is passionate about what they do, they will succeed.
Saheela Ibraheem got into the Ivy League Harvard at the age of 15, where she is currently studying neurobiology — a branch of science that studies the brain — and has been listed among the “World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers.” She was also accepted for admission by 13 other top colleges in the United States, including the MIT, Princeton, Columbia, and six Ivy League institutions, choosing Harvard, she became one of the youngest students to ever attend the university. She will be graduating in May this year.
President Obama then said, "Saheela got into Harvard at 15. I don't know what you all were doing at 15. Speaks four languages (Yoruba, Arabic, Spanish, and Latin, in addition to English). The Arabic is like a major or minor, but has four of them. Is studying neurobiology. Was listed among the 'World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers.' Let me just say, there are a lot of teenagers in the world. Saheela is like one of the 50 smartest ones. That's pretty smart. And she’s a wonderful young lady. She’s like the State Department and the National Institute of Health all rolled into one. And we are so proud of your accomplishments and all that lies ahead of you. And you reflect our history. Young people like inspire our future."
Saheela Ibraheem also sings in the school choir and serves as president of the school’s investment club. The promising girl plans to major in either neurobiology or neuroscience, and hopes to become a scientist in order to study how the brain works. "I try my best in everything I do," Saheela said, confirming that there is nothing special about her brain. "Anyone who’s motivated can work wonders."