Golfer Okolo Becomes First Valedictorian from Athletics

NASHVILLE- Fisk University golfer, Dabeluchukwu Okolo, is scoring "aces" on and off the golf course. As Class of 2024's valedictorian, she's proven she's as much a scholar as she is a collegiate golfer. She also is the first to do so as a Fisk athlete. 

Okolo, who came to the States from Nigeria, ended her tenure at Fisk, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and a two year player on the Fisk Golf Team. She's received many accolades as an athlete, but her final Fisk honor was delivering the valedictorian speech, one that was full of inspirational nuggets; pearls of wisdom she's leaned on herself.

In her speech, she detailed how she never touched a golf club before her sophomore year in college. She tirelessly practiced indoors but learned how to adjust to playing outdoors. She challenged her fellow graduates to never give up and that success is failure turned upside down. It's not just what she believes. It's literally her name which means 'To Lean on God.'

"My name is not just a word; it is the way I live. I have so many people to thank but it is all about what God has done for me," said Okolo.

To Okolo, her name is sacred. If you give her a nickname, there's one thing she requires first.

"I don't mind having nicknames, but you must first learn how to say my name. People want to shorten it but because of its meaning, I don't like that."

How it all started

While Okolo's matriculation through Fisk has ended on a high note, it was not an easy journey getting there. She came to the United States in 2021, looking for a great education and to be successful. The success that she has earned came with some trials and tribulations.

She first learned of Fisk as a junior while attending The Ambassadors College High School in Nigeria. In 2019, 10 members of the class above her earned the Fisk Presidential Scholarship, the highest scholarship awarded by the university. The next year, Okolo was accepted into Fisk as a Provost Scholar. Okolo "leaned on God".

Okolo says she was excited to move to the United States. She watched the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon to acclimate herself to the American Way. The Covid-19 virus stymied that dream for a year, as Fisk went to a full virtual curriculum her freshman year.  Okolo "leaned on God".

The following year she was denied her Visa twice. She almost gave up, but she talked to her mother who encouraged her to try one more time. Okolo "leaned on God" and was granted her Visa.

Finally, Okolo would step foot on Fisk's campus as a sophomore now that the pandemic restrictions were lifted.  She didn't sit back on her laurels.

Her sophomore year, she learned that Fisk had a golf program, a sport she says she didn't expect at an HBCU. She says she grew up believing golf was a sport that only white, rich men played.

Intrigued, she sought out Fisk head golf coach Robert Moore. Her goal was to learn to play because she felt it would help her once she entered the work field. Okolo "leaned on God".

Despite having a significant learning curve, she was up for the challenge. Okolo has never been a stranger to hard work. Not only did she work hard in the classroom and on the golf course, but she also took night classes to modify her dialect so people could understand her better. The hard work earned her the honor of being voted onto the Fisk Royal Court her junior year, making her the first international student to do so. Okolo instantly became a role model for other international students. Okolo "leaned on God".

She made the golf team, made the Royal Court, and was excelling in academics, but there was still much more to do. Okolo still had had more barriers to overcome in acclimating to American culture. She found herself missing her life in Nigeria. She credits Fisk International Affairs Manager Diedra Gobin for helping her through social hardships, and bringing food and culture to Fisk that she was used to. Once again, Okolo "leaned on God".

The hard work and "leaning on God" has paid off. Okolo has accepted a job in Alpharetta, Georgia as a Business Analyst. Although her life lessons at Fisk have been a catalyst for her success, there is no doubt that she will 'Dabeluchukwu'.