Uchenna Ileagu
BIO
Senior academic laboratory research technologist at the Federal University of Technology Owerr (Nigeria). Mother of 3.
Instagram: @ucheileagu
Uchenna Ileagu
“I keep on pushing hard because I always feel strongly within me that the niche I occupy on mother earth is not yet fully utilized.”
I am a Senior Academic Laboratory Research Technologist at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, in Nigeria. Sincerely, my science journey has been both exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.
As a mother of three, one can already tell the enormous extra impact I must muster come rain; come shine. I keep on pushing hard because I always feel strongly within me that the niche I occupy on mother earth is not yet fully utilized.
It was when I got married and had my first child that it dawned on me that I can only fulfill the quest I have for a professional career in academia by determination. I gained admission to begin my master’s in nutrition and toxicological biochemistry in 2015 while nursing a two-month-old baby, struggled to write both semester exams and even went into a second pregnancy two years later. By this time, it was quite tough struggling with the mice models used in carrying out my research work since the theoretical aspect of the program was complete.
At this point I realized that while one can get by fast with only self-determination, you can get further when surrounded with positive vibes from like-minds, and this is what Mothers in Science basically does. Since my master’s degree program, I have continued with my science journey with various mentoring, voluntary and virtual programs regardless of the difficulties that accompany it.