Commencement 2024 Associate Degree Scholar: Ehinowen Uwa

Ehinowen Uwa is a Smart Scholar, graduating with an Associate Degree in Computer Science. As a Smart Scholar, he is dually enrolled at Medgar Evers College and a partnered high school, Medgar Evers College Preparatory School. Ehinowen will be graduating this year from college with a GPA of 3.9 and from high school with a GPA of 100.6. The youngest of four siblings, Ehinowen was born in Queens and moved to Brooklyn when he was 12. His mother, who is a nurse, was born in America and raised in Guyana. Ehinowen’s Nigerian-born father is a retired assistant principal and math professor who immigrated to the United States.  

Ambition and drive have been the fuel for Ehinowen’s success. He has participated in the CRSP (CUNY Research Scholar Program), where he conducted research under a computer science mentor with the findings being presented at LaGuardia Community College. In addition, Ehinowen participated in an internship with a company that developed a flashcards-based learning app for high school calculus classes that he reviewed content for in addition to doing light programming. Currently, he is vice president of the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School’s National Honor Society chapter and participates in its Robotics Club. 

Outside of academia, Ehinowen participated in several programs including the Google Code Next Program, which teaches various computer science topics and skills. He also attended the Blacks at Microsoft Summer Mentorship Program, focusing on learning various company cultures and attending numerous workshops centered on the discussion of important career skills.  

Ehinowen’s decision to attend Medgar Evers College through the Smart Scholars program at Medgar Evers College Preparatory School stemmed from his desire to secure credentials as soon as possible for his career goal of becoming a software engineer. He felt it would prepare him for higher education after high school. Being able to attend MEC and earn this degree alongside his peers, coupled with the patience of his professors, made for a very rewarding experience.  

In the fall, Ehinowen will head to Lafayette College in Pennsylvania to get his bachelor’s degree, where he was awarded a Posse Scholarship along with a Dyer Fellowship, which promotes entrepreneurship skills. In his free time, Ehinowen programs games and apps, makes and listens to music and plays various instruments.