Julian Anugom
Commencement Close-Up: Graduation is international affair
(Dec. 8, 2003)--When Julian Anugom walks across the stage Friday night, it concludes an educational journey spanning two continents and three institutions of higher education.
Anugom, a native of Imo States, Nigeria, will receive his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and plans to begin pursuing his master's degree in the spring. Cheering him on Friday will be 20 family members from California, North Carolina and Nigeria.
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RSS FeedsThe quest for the 21-year-old began at the Federal University of Technology Oweri, one of Nigeria's largest universities, where he began pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Anugom stayed one semester before transferring to North Carolina Central University in Durham. While at NCCU, he studied accounting, but, looking for a greater challenge, he quickly changed his major back to electrical engineering.
Anugom felt that another change of scenery would benefit his education, so he contacted his uncle, Charles Ukaegbu, a San Antonio social worker who encouraged Anugom to move in with him and his family and attend UTSA.
Once at UTSA, Anugom embraced campus life joining several organizations including UTSA Ambassadors, the Honors Alliance and more than a dozen engineering chapters and honor societies.
"It's one of life's choices you have to make; UTSA gives you the option to be useful or useless," said Anugom.
Successful careers are common in the Anugom family. Julian's father owns a Nigerian construction company, his mother works at a Nigerian university and his brothers and sisters are either doctors, civil engineers or nearing completion of medical or law degrees.
Over the summer, Julian interned at Dell Inc., where he researched ways to measure the power emitting from computer servers networked with as many as 60 computers. Anugom found the internship invaluable and enjoyed living in an apartment with roommates for the first time and making friends with fellow interns from several other universities.
"I found myself working on board layout designs, which I learned in my classes at UTSA. However, several of the students from the larger universities were unfamiliar with the concept. The internship experience helped me gain more respect for the engineering education I received at UTSA."
Anugom's long term goals are to work and earn a master's in electrical engineering and a master's in business administration. Once he meets those goals he plans to return to Nigeria to help establish a company with former classmates from his senior design class at UTSA.