Ed Gold Scholarship As Might Be Expected Essay

Ed Gold Scholarship

As might be expected of the eldest child of two Nigerian immigrants, I possess an abiding entrepreneurial spirit and drive to succeed. I joined the New York Investment Banking Consulting team at FactSet Research Systems in September 2001 and was quickly promoted to Senior Consultant and Account Executive. I simultaneously enrolled in an evening statistics classes at NYU and joined Weichert Realtors as a real estate agent. These varied commitments forced me to learn how to multitask and set priorities. I fell in love with real estate and enrolled in the graduate program at Cornell.

The real estate program brought opportunities to travel to and study emerging real estate markets in Nigeria and China. During this time, I earned the title of second runner-up in the Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant. I used my platform to raise awareness about Nigerian issues in America. In 2008, I also earned the title of first runner-up on The Apprentice: Africa.As part of my work on The Apprentice, I made a promotional tour through Sub-Saharan and South Africa and met successful African entrepreneurs.

Inspired by the people I met on my travels, I founded O&M Media Ltd. To create new television program, Africa's Top 100 Entrepreneurs. I then worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria and became one of five inaugural members of the village of Ere's first microfinance bank. I sat on the bank's Board of Directors and was head of the Chair of the Audit committee from 2009-2011. I am extremely proud of the successful launch of eight bank projects, including a waterworks project, complete with a pipeline network and faucets for the whole village and an energy center.

My experiences abroad brought tremendous professional and personal growth, as well as another surprise discovery: my passion for writing as a means of….....