Arinze Okigbo '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is Arinze Okigbo, and I am a Nigerian-American Junior at the Thacher School in Ojai, California. I recently moved to the USA in 2021 from Nigeria, where I grew up. I am blessed to have a unique and dynamic family. My influences include relatives that are poets, politicians, academics and businesspeople. I was raised to believe that family means everything. I was also taught to be committed to excellence in everything I do. Our family motto is “Okigbos never give up.” My father’s favorite is “Okigbos are never on time, but always early.” These aspects shape who I am and keep me grounded, being so far away from home.

Moving to Ojai to attend an elite boarding school has been life-changing.I love being at Thacher. I find a missing piece of myself here. It's a school is bound by the community, and that aspect affects my everyday life. Unlike before, I have found a way to build connections and a sense of community outside of my family, from academics to athletics to extracurricular work.

Thanks to my parents, I have always been passionate about a healthy lifestyle. Track and field has significantly shaped me, both physically and emotionally. Training my body, setting performance goals, and being disciplined while still focusing on academics hasn't always been easy, but it has helped me grow in many ways. 

Track & field has given me amazing opportunities for personal and professional development. Playing this sport has significantly changed how I feel, behave, and perform in all aspects of my life. Its has taught me essential life values like tenacity, resilience, and the importance of goal setting thanks to the obstacles, discipline, and also failure. In my sophomore year, I broke the record for the 4x100 relay race while running as the only sophomore on the varsity team, and this year, I broke the 100m record and held the 2nd fastest 200m time in Thacher history. I also won the Frontier League Finals in the 100m and came 2nd in the 200m. Running, in particular, brings me a sense of strength, freedom, calmness, and mental clarity. From my earliest childhood, I have always been drawn to running and the feeling of being active and untamed outdoors. 

At Thacher,  I am a leader and active in my school community. I am the student head of the Black Student Union, a prefect for the underclassmen, head of the indoor commitee, and Captain of the Track team. I also have a deep passion for technology and sustainability. This passion drove me to start my blog called TechBuzz. It's a tech article website I built where I share articles on tech-related issues. As someone who grew up in Nigeria, I understand the importance of development in poorer countries. Presently, I'm collaborating with the Green Valley Project to produce a children's book highlighting the importance of the environment. Additionally, I'm working with the Turtle Conservancy to take care of endangered turtle species, conduct research, and assist scientists in learning more about them.

Like my parents, I want to get the best education here in the United States so I can  return home to Nigeria and help improve the country through technology. I want to get as much experience as possible. I have interned at tech companies and am working with the Green Valley Project to publish a children's book that teaches kids about the importance of the environment and sustainability. 

Attending an exceptional college where I can learn, grow, and even fail is very important. I intend to use my passion for track and technology to become my best person.