Faculty Profile—Eronini Egbujor Growing up in the aftermath of the civil war that occurred in Nigeria was not easy for Eronini Egbujor, instructor in French and humanities. "It's a terrible thing you don't ever wish for, no matter which side you are on," he says. The adversities he faced during his youth gave him a knack for taking life's curves in stride and having few regrets. "It provides an eye-opening experience," Dr. Egbujor explains. "You cannot but learn from such events and be cautious in life—and don't take things for granted." He adds, "I think I got to experience life before I was old enough." Despite academic setbacks caused by his country’s civil war, Dr. Egbujor was determined to dream high with his educational pursuits. He received an undergraduate degree in Togo, near his native Nigeria; though his first career options included geology and pharmacy, Dr. Egbujor followed the suggestion of his elder brother and chose to study French. While Nigeria is not a French-speaking nation, Dr. Egbujor has always loved the French language. He grew up in an environment filled with French books and with a brother who was majoring in French. It was not, however, his first choice of careers. He originally planned to study business in Britain, but chose to study French in Togo where his brother had attended. Thereafter and at the urging of his brother, he continued his studies in Quebec, Canada. "My brother is my best friend," he says with passion. "He is wiser than me and if he tells me to go to North America, he must have seen in this something positive for my future." While in Canada, Dr. Egbujor earned his master's and doctoral degrees—also in French—and began working on postdoctoral research. He considers his brother's advice "farsighted" and he has no regrets about his choices or the path his life has taken. Although his journey has been filled with adventures and life-changing choices, Dr. Egbujor has embraced it all with enthusiasm. "Nothing is guaranteed in life," he explains. "A sudden change, a sudden shift can alter your whole life, your whole experience. In the end, one is just happy to be alive and tell the story," he adds. Name: Eronini Egbujor Position: Instructor in French and humanities Years at ASU: 14 years Important facts: His last name is pronounced Eee-boo-jor Thoughts on academics: "When it comes to academics, very few people end up doing exactly what they want to do," says Dr. Egbujor. "Somewhere down the line something pushes us off and we take another bearing."
October 2007 |
