Kechi Okwuchi had the talk “Girls- know thyself,” in December 2015, but it didn’t start going viral until after her captivating rendition at America’s Got Talent show, .
Kechi Okwuchi is an Economics graduate of the University of St. Thomas where she was the student speaker at the 2015 Commencement Ceremony.
She moved to the United States of America in 2007 for reconstructive surgery after surviving the Sosoliso plane crash in Nigeria of December 10, 2005, a crash that killed amongst others, 60 of Kechi’s schoolmates from Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja who were flying home for the Christmas holidays.
Her life story as a plane crash survivor, suffering many setbacks, having over 100 surgeries, and graduating magna cum laude from college is phenomenal.
Despite all she went through, Kechi said she never allowed her scars define her, however, she gives that to her family who has been very supportive.
She said,
I feel like when we were born, God gives us all these paths before us but a lot of times, society and our families can tend to close up some of these paths even though they mean well. But just imagine if every young person, every young girl was given the freedom to explore her true passions without the burden of expectation or direction, I feel like a new different society will definitely emerge.
If every young person was able to go out there and use their full potential, society will definitely thrive. And I’ve seen a lot of progress in this.
There’s this childhood friend I have, we grew up in Aba and then her mom called my mom and was telling her about their daughter wanting to study filmmaking in college and they told her, “Ok, that’s great. Go and get a real degree first and then, we’ll talk.”
So my friend went, got a long degree, then apparently she came home, flung the certificate into her parent’s face and was like, “oya, take your law degree. Can I go and do filmmaking now?”
See what happened here, rather than telling their daughter, “which nonsense filmmaking, I’m not going to pay for that filmmaking nonsense,” they tried to meet her halfway and told her, “Ok, get a fallback degree and then you can go ahead and pursue your less conventional passions.”
And from a parent’s point of view, I can actually understand that because parents want their kids to be happy. They want them to have stability, to make money and to be happy. But a lot of times, those three things don’t always go hand-in-hand and the society at times, focus on the first two and forgets how important happiness truly is.
And I feel like this really tightens well with the whole vision of the real thing because it’s passion that gives rise to your vision that you have for your life and if you’re allowed to explore those visions and explore those passions, then the change will be so substantial.
Personally for me, when it comes to knowing myself, applying my vision to myself and making it something that’s real, it has been an obstacle so far, but my way has been to rely solely on God. I’m not saying that being a Christian is the only way to know who you are, I’m just saying that’s my way, personally.
My faith is an integral part of me, and I try to include God in every single part of my life and in every decision I make. And more so, after the accident for obvious reasons.
I’ve always felt like my family has been that backbone helping me to grow whenever I get lost or confused about something. I get confused a lot because the Bible can be confusing s I need lots of guidance when it comes to that.
My family is always there and I feel like God really gave me my family because he knew the kind of obstacle I would face in my life one day. But because of them, I’ve never felt the need to conform, I’ve never felt like I need to make decisions based on my physical appearance, I’ve never felt like my scars define me and I’ve never felt like anything I have to do will be dependent on what I look like.
I make decisions on what I like, who I am, what I believe and never in what I look like and that’s how I’ve been doing things and I really owe that to my family and I thank God for the kind of family he gave me.
I pray that wherever young people find themselves in Nigeria or otherwise, they will be able to one day explore their own passions.
They are able to be free to pursue those talents that they have within them and find themselves while finding their vision.
Ruby Akubueze, a Nollywood actress, aspires to be part of any Marvel Studios project under Disney Entertainment. She gained recognition for her role as Frances in the television series MTV Shuga. It explores the experiences of young individuals dealing with love, desire, and the complexities of maturing.
In an interview, Akubueze expressed her ambition to work on an international platform, particularly mentioning her desire to join a Marvel series. “I’ll pick any Marvel series; I have always wanted to be on a Marvel project,” she said.
Ruby Akubueze is well-known for portraying Oby in the 2023 Netflix film, Ijogbon.
Kunle Afolayan directed the movie. The movie revolves around four teenagers who stumble upon a bag of diamonds, leading to unexpected consequences. Akubueze described her role in Ijogbon as the most challenging one she has encountered in her acting career.
“It was a lot emotionally, physically, and given the time of the year we were filming, it was challenging because the sun was always scorching and we were always filming outdoors.
“We had like a few scenes indoors, and every day you wake up, we are filming outside and next thing is you would hear the director say, ‘Oh, so you guys are going to start running from here to here,’ and I am like ‘Oh my gosh, again!’
“Like we were always running, it was challenging but it was the most fun I had,” she said.
The 26-year-old talked about the actresses who influenced her decision to become an actress. She said that she admires both Nigerian actress Ireti Doyle and American actress Angelina Jolie.
“In the Nigerian space, I will say Ireti Doyle. I watched her growing up in Fuji House of Commotion, and she was like a family fav and there is Angela Jolie in the foreign space,” she said.
Nollywood actress Stella Damasus is bursting with pride. On May 14, 2024, she took to Instagram to celebrate her daughter Angelica’s graduation from university. Damasus shared a heartwarming video collage featuring pictures from Angelica’s big day.
The caption brimmed with excitement, revealing that Angelica’s academic achievements were not only celebrated by her family but also landed her a prestigious Ivy League scholarship! This is a double dose of good news for the Damasus family, highlighting Angelica’s hard work and dedication.
She said,
“As my second daughter @angelicatooni graduates today from @columbia I give God all the honour and glory. I am grateful for his love, grace, mercy and favour. Angelica’s grades gave her a full scholarship in an Ivy league college. Yes! Today I have the right to brag. My last baby is done (for now 😜😜).”
Filled with joy she continued, “Proud mama moment y’all. More videos and pictures coming. Prepare to get sick of me 🤣🤣💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽. Congratulations my princess. I love you beyond words.”
Many people filled the comment section with congratulations, and lots of people chiming in about how much Angelica looks just like her mom.
A follower commented, “For a moment I thought she was you❤️❤️❤️❤️Congratulations to her and you too ..We all pray that we experience our kids great successes.” Another said, “Congratulations, her face and yours are same sha ooo.”
Ä dumbfounded commenter said, “This is your twinnnnnnnnn, Coach!!! Wow,” and yet another said, “Congratulations to you dear @stelladamasus this one is your twin wow . The resemblance is exact. Congratulations dear sis . She will go on to do amazing things in this world. Welldone . Good job sis.”
Established fashion designer Veekee James recently shared some valuable wisdom with aspiring designers. In an Instagram post uploaded on May 14, 2024, she focused on the importance of brand protection. Veekee James offered key steps that up-and-coming designers can take to safeguard their creations and build a thriving fashion brand.
She wrote,
“I don’t know anything about the issue going around on social media so I can’t really speak on it! Here’s my advise as someone who has been there done that.”
In her advice to aspiring designers, Veekee James emphasised the importance of setting clear boundaries with clients, particularly regarding payment and social media recognition.
She cautioned designers against situations where a client offers social media recognition (tagging the designer on a post) instead of proper payment for their work. This puts the designer in a difficult position, forcing them to choose between financial security and potential brand exposure.
She suggests designers establish clear terms upfront with clients.
“Once anyone comes to you with the ‘Do you want money or tag’ phrase, You better run! I’ve had so many of your faves, both in this country and abroad, use that phrase with me and that was it! Today some of these people will give anything to be in my piece! No cap. It just shows no respect or regard for your brand! Once you allow that, it confirms the fact that your brand has no value whatsoever!” she warned.
In her talk, the designer stressed the importance of clearly communicating a brand’s values to celebrity clientele.
“Be wise! Don’t let money come first before the important things! Sacrifice in business is a must! As long as you have made glaring the values of your brand, be ready to collaborate sometimes only with celebs who respect you as well! Never forget that it’s a win-win for you and the celeb! No one is doing you a favour!”
The looks from this year’s AMVCA red carpet that were designed by Veekay James
She stressed the importance of both staying true to your beliefs and not relying solely on celebrity clients for publicity.
“Don’t be desperate to be known through a person! You must know that only God is the LIFTER of Men! He will use only the people He chooses to lift you! Don’t try to do what only God can do for your brand! Don’t expect publicity from every celebrity and make desperate decisions without thinking!” she said.
The celebrity designer added,
“If you want to be a fashion designer, go and research the true meaning of being a designer! So that you don’t end up being a tailor parading him or herself as a designer! If you are a designer, do the work of a designer!”