PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 29, 2020) – Learning about other cultures and traditions is a valuable educational experience. Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is giving students from across the globe that opportunity, along with the chance to earn a world-class education. After hours of travel from Equatorial Guinea, on the west coast of Africa, 18 students landed at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, on their way to PVAMU.
“They are coming to work on undergraduate degrees,” said Evie M. Myers, executive director of International Programs at PVAMU. “There was a late arrival due to COVID-19 closings to get their visas, and fewer flights were leaving, but they are all registered for classes and have already started taking their PV classes online.”
The students are coming to PVAMU fully funded by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
“A few years ago, [PVAMU] President Ruth J. Simmons and the Honorable Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons Mr. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima signed a Memorandum of Understanding to begin this program,” said Myers.
After landing in Washington, DC, the students, along with two Ministry executives, Jacinto Nguema Owono, Director General Local Content, and Emilia Mangue Ngui, Head of the Training Cabinet, boarded a bus for the last leg of the journey to Texas.
“These 18 Equatorial Guinea students have all been tested and are negative for COVID-19, so they are ready to begin their studies on campus,” said Myers.
Upon boarding the bus, students received PVAMU masks and shirts, which they wore with pride to mark the beginning of their new educational experiences. Their excitement was obvious from their big smiles at the airport and on the bus. They even had an impromptu singalong to pass the time on the bus, with loud singing and clapping.
“The song we sang on the bus was written by one of the students, and it says: We will give our time, our effort to do a better job, out of the INTHGE [Equatorial Guinea School of Excellence], here at PV, we will show a greater way of living,” said Ruben Dario, one of the new students.
None of the Equatorial Guinea students have ever been to the United States. Most of them completed their high school studies in their native country, while some went to school in South Africa. Beyond high school, some of the students had begun taking classes at the National University of Equatorial Guinea. A few others completed technical studies at the National Institute of Hydrocarbons.
Instagram: eg_school_of_excellence
At PVAMU, they are looking forward to new opportunities. The students will be on campus throughout their undergraduate coursework for four years or until they graduate.
“We are really concerned about completing our majors, getting jobs, and helping to build a world with equality of opportunities,” said Dario. “We are studying a variety of majors. Most of us are in mechanical engineering, but we also have people in business, computer engineering, and other majors,” he said.
Regardless of which academic paths they choose, PVAMU will be a wonderful place to complete their studies. The students’ friends and families at home in Equatorial Guinea are excited about their opportunity and send best wishes for a great year ahead. The Equatorial Guinea School of Excellence Instagram post sums up their hopes for the students: “We are very happy for the opportunity to learn many things. CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION AND DISCIPLINE.”
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By Angie Frederickson