Chinelo Oparaeche

Calvin Coolidge once said that "nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination are omnipotent."

Mr. Coolidge would have liked Chinelo Oparaeche, '06. In the four years since she left her homeland of Nigeria, Chinelo has attended three institutions of higher learning, had papers presented at a science conference and published in a scientific journal, and started her own business.

"The only way you fail is when you quit, and I'm not a quitter," says Chinelo, who is a major in chemistry."

Chinelo came to the U. S. to attend Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., but the school, with an enrollment of nearly 12,000, was too big and impersonal for her taste. She also sought a school in a more diverse setting.

While attending a community college in Grand Rapids, Mich., Chinelo discovered Carthage.

"I was glad I came here because I have acquired a lot of skills," she says.

One highlight of Chinelo's experience at the College was her opportunity to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, SURE. The SURE program features close contact between students and professors, as they work together on a research project.

"They are doing original research, trying to solve problems that haven't been addressed, or answer questions that haven't been answered," says Kevin Morris, Klingenmeyer Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, and chemistry department chair.

Chinelo was one of a dozen students participating in the SURE program last summer. She did experiments in nuclear magnetic resonance, studying molecules found in the brain, and how they interact with model membranes.

"Understand these interactions at a fundamental level could possibly help other researchers develop new pain relievers," Mr. Morris explains.

The experiments included use of the College's nuclear magnetic resonance instrument. The instrument was obtained in 1998 and is used in lab classes and for undergraduate research.

Chinelo presented a paper on her work at a scientific conference in Chicago, and will present another paper at a March conference in Atlanta. She also co-authored a paper scheduled for publication in Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry.

Mr. Morris describes Chinelo as "one of the hardest-working students I've encountered at Carthage. She worked full-time on the research project and worked a full-time job, but didn't let either slide."

That job was on the north side of Milwaukee, so Chinelo's days included a one-hour commute each way.

"It was hard for me, but I woke up each morning knowing I had to go for it," she says matter-of-factly.

But Chinelo eventually found an alternative to the long commute, by starting her own home-based business. Her firm, J. Jireh Gift Treasures, sells gift items online and by mail.

"I figured there's got to be a better way than this," she said of commuting to Milwaukee.

Chinelo has also been active in the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at Carthage.

"My relationship with God has brought me far, and has made everything more rewarding," she says.

Throughout her stay in the U. S., Chinelo has planned to pursue a pharmacy degree. She believes the College has prepared her well.

"They have tremendous teachers," she says. "I love the teachers I've come in contact with. I like the interaction between teachers and students."

After earning a pharmacy degree, Chinelo intends to do research.

"I wouldn't mind staying here (in the U.S.) for a while, but I'd like to help my country too, in a medical area. I'd like to help train pharmacists, and eradicate self-medication," she says.

Mr. Morris believes the SURE experience will help her fulfill her ambitions, "The best thing about the SURE program is that research and problem-solving are what (graduates) will have to do in the real world, as doctors, research scientists or industrial chemists," he says. "Carthage students aren't just learning stuff from a textbook."