Fall 2022 academic highlights
The Spring 2023 semester is now underway. While we look forward to our future accomplishments, let’s look back and acknowledge the outstanding contributions from students in the Fall semester, including the African Leaders Showcase, the MReader awards, and National Ivory Spelling Bee.
National Ivory Spelling Bee
On Saturday, November 6, high school students from the Abidjan area gathered to take part in the second national spelling bee, organized by the NGO Education Africa CI.
IUGB students and faculty gave their support to the event by serving as volunteers and judges. Judges included faculty members Darlene Kilian (U.S. State Department English Language Fellow and UPP instructor), Mohamed Lekrama (UPP lecturer), and Brione LaThrop (BSS senior lecturer) and students Daoud Saphyra Graciel Cecile Diabate and Kouamebah Yvanne Ornella Kouassi Akoupo. Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) Mallory Lewis and Olivia Risoleo also served on the jury. ETAs Unglid Paul and Maryka Zee served as school representatives.
Other IUGB student volunteers included Aman Fernand Junior Niamkey, Prisca Noufe, Rasmata Sawadogo, Steve Rubin Donhous, Abraham Ido, and Okeilagne Marie Reine Grace A. Diagana.
Members of the NGO Education Africa CI stopped by the IUGB campus on November 28 to drop off certificates of appreciation for the IUGB participants and meet with the UPP Director.
African Leaders Showcase
The African Leaders’ Public Speaking Series promotes public speaking skills, as students immerse themselves in Black excellence–embodied by the leadership of both our ancestors and contemporary role models in academia, the arts, business, engineering, health, mathematics, politics and the sciences. The African Leaders’ Public Speaking Series focuses on positive role models to inspire students’ interest and self-confidence as they research phenomenal achievers, synthesize language, and embody the characteristics of excellence though their speeches.
Each UPP Oral Communication group and several BSS courses held speaking competitions in class. The finalists from those groups who took in the November 4 program were:
Student Name |
Course/Group |
Leader |
Country |
|
1. |
M’mah Grace Emmanuella D Dowo |
Survey of US History |
Victoria Montu “Abdaraya Toya” |
Benin/Haiti |
2. |
Josue Emmanuel Moro III N’guessan |
African History |
Lerone Bennett, Jr. |
USA |
3. |
Meliane Joelle-Queren Yed |
African History |
Magatte Wade |
Senegal |
4. |
Sie Mohamed Yohann Ouattara |
African History |
Joel Augustus Rogers |
Jamaica/USA |
5. |
Woedinam Prince Tenge |
African History |
Byron Allen |
USA |
6. |
Aminata Fanta Traore |
Survey of US History |
Florence Nkiru Nwapa |
Nigeria |
7. |
Check Abdoul Kader Traore |
Survey of US History |
Ogobara Doumbo |
Mali |
8. |
Azanin Adala Marie Paule Bile |
Survey of US History |
Lebohang Monyasti |
South Africa |
9. |
Aboubacar Sidick Camata |
African History |
Denmark Vesey |
St. Thomas, US VI |
10. |
Zongo, Gouwend-Rinde Ebenezer O. |
Advanced A |
John Singleton |
USA |
11. |
Ibeawuchi, Benedict Ikechukwu |
Advanced A |
Paul Cuffe |
USA |
12. |
N’guetta Lia Nanan |
Advanced B |
Vera Songwe |
Cameroon |
13. |
Djogo, Aghitain Emmanuel |
Advanced C |
Tayo Oviosu |
Nigeria |
14. |
Yapi, Assi Christ Emmanuel |
Advanced C |
Jim Ovia |
Nigeria |
15. |
Zogoury, Marie-Kenza Olivia Fadeh |
Intermediate A |
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
Nigeria |
16. |
Kacou, Adjoba Lucie Marie-Typhanie |
Intermediate A |
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti |
Nigeria |
17. |
Sangare, Yves Yoro |
Intermediate A |
Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh, the Dahomey Warriors |
Benin |
18. |
Ahossy, Nana Lumina Marie-Stephen |
Intermediate B |
Nana Oforiatta Ayim |
Ghana |
19. |
Toure, Vassindou Khaled Abdallah |
Intermediate B |
Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe |
South Africa |
20. |
Berthe, Salimata Makoulako |
Intermediate C |
Kamissa Camara |
Mali |
21. |
Attegbe, Yoann Paul- Cedric |
Intermediate C |
Sibongile Sambo |
South Africa |
22. |
Toure, Idriss Hamad |
Basic A |
Octavia Butler |
USA |
23. |
Coulibaly, Chonhangnon Rhamatou |
Basic A |
Mansa Kankan Musa |
Mali |
24. |
Diaou, Hady Ely |
Basic B |
Rose Ziba Chaibambo |
Malawi |
25. |
Sanogo, Zie Abdoul Aziz |
Basic C |
Vicente Guerrero |
Mexico |
26. |
Coulibaly, Bley Cheick Richard |
Basic C |
Yaa Asantewaa |
Ghana |
27. |
Tra-Tiebi, Anna Marie Claude Yasmine |
Basic D |
Michelle Obama |
USA |
28. |
Amatche, Elloh Yann Auriol |
Basic D |
Thomas Sankara |
Burkina Faso |
29. |
Beugre, Koffi Yahmsehl Jonathan Amos |
Basic E |
Adebayo Ogunlesi |
Nigeria |
30. |
Diarra, Moussa Junior |
Basic E |
Yusuf Yaqub al Manur |
Morocco |
31. |
Acka, Hobbah Ahou Ruth-Esther |
Basic F |
Obafemi Awolowo |
Nigeria |
32. |
Diby, Kouadio Ange Junior |
Basic F |
Changamire Dombo |
Zimbabwe |
The UPP Oral Communication instructors and other faculty who prepared the students for the event deserve thanks. So do Unglid Paul, ETA at Lycée Excellence who helped coach the students, master of ceremonies Elisée Anne-Lucrece Yao, and Media Club members Batihe Kouame, Abraham Guy-Anicet N’Zi, and Claude Hans Andre Yapi.
MReader Awards
Since 2019, IUGB has used MReader to help increase the reading level of its students. The MReader program is an international extensive reading project designed to assist students in the improvement of their English reading, vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Students choose graded readers from IUGB’s vast library in a variety of different genres at an appropriate level from 1 – 9. They then take quizzes on the books they read, and are awarded points representing the number of words for each book they have mastered as they work towards their semester reading goal. More than 7,000 quizzes are offered on the free MReader.org website, hosted by the Extensive Reading Foundation.
The top readers in the Fall 2022 semester who were awarded in the ceremony on December 14 were:
International Leaderboard
Level 5 Yacouba Boundago
Level 6 Stella Jessica Bambara (4 Weeks), Ivan Massa Keven Akpess
Level 7 De Melissa Marie Divine Tohougbe, Apie Lena Karen Mariane Assi
Level 8 De Melissa Marie Divine Tohougbe, Sedinam Ama Agbelie (2 Weeks), Apie Lena Karen Mariane Assi (4 weeks)
300,000 words read
De Melissa Marie Divine Tohougbe, Nafissatou Bahadio, Mitihe Grace Epiphanie Kone, Sonamane Mariam Ouattara, and Benedict Ikechukwu Ibeawuchi.
University level
Gold Medals – Mitihe Grace Epiphanie Kone and De Melissa Marie Divine Tohougbe
Silver Medals – Nafissatou Bahadio and Syntyche Kiswend Sida Ilboudo
Bronze Medals – Ivan Massa Keven Akpess and Sonamane Mariam Ouattara
Advanced UPP
Gold Medal – Ibeawuchi, Benedict Ikechukwu
Silver Medal – Assi, Mariane Apie Lena-Karen
Bronze Medal – Yao, Akoua Grace Oceane
Intermediate UPP
Gold Medal – Brizoua-Bi, Louis-David Emmanuel
Silver Medal – Zogoury, Marie-Kenza Olivia Fadeh
Bronze Medal – Amani, Yann Henoc Joel
Basic UPP
Gold Medal – Toipli, Sialait Yann Euphraim
Silver Medal – Kambire, Sansan Romaric
Bronze Medal – Kone, Pefihe Elie