A Nigerian student, Nnenna Onyima, has emerged as valedictorian of the international students’ class at Daejeon University in South Korea, where she delivered her graduation speech fluently in Korean.
Onyima graduated with a Master of Science degree in Business Administration, receiving the highest academic honour for her programme, according to her father, Tony Onyima, who shared details of her achievement on Facebook. She delivered the valedictory address during the university’s graduation ceremony on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The achievement marked the culmination of a journey that began with Onyima’s interest in Korean popular culture, particularly K-dramas and K-pop.
According to her father, Onyima’s fascination with Korean films initially generated disagreements at home. However, rather than discourage the interest, her family encouraged her to learn the Korean language and channel her passion into something productive.
That decision eventually opened the door to an opportunity to study in South Korea.
Onyima was reportedly selected in September 2023 for the competitive Global Korea Scholarship (GKS). Her father said she was among 1,099 scholars selected from applicants from 131 countries and one of only 14 successful Nigerian applicants that year.
Her selection is also supported by records from the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, which listed “ONYIMA NNENNA NINA” among candidates shortlisted for the 2023 GKS-Graduate interview in Nigeria.
Three years after leaving Nigeria for South Korea, Onyima graduated in the presence of her father, who travelled to Daejeon for the ceremony.
He said he initially did not know that his daughter had been chosen to deliver the address on behalf of the international graduating students.
When she took the stage and began speaking in Korean, he realised that she had kept her selection as valedictorian a surprise.
In her address, Onyima reflected on the uncertainty she initially felt about leaving Nigeria and moving thousands of kilometres away to a country with a different language and culture.
She described the experience of speaking to fellow international students in Korean as remarkable, noting that she was a foreigner addressing other foreigners in a language that belonged to neither group.
She also described taking the opportunity to study in South Korea as one of the best risks she had taken.
Her achievement has drawn attention not only because of her academic performance but also because of the linguistic accomplishment involved in delivering a major university address in Korean as a Nigerian student.
Her story also highlights how an interest that initially appeared to be merely a fascination with foreign entertainment can become a pathway to education, cultural exchange and personal development when pursued purposefully.
Onyima’s father, reflecting on the experience, encouraged parents to support their children’s interests and help them channel those interests towards productive opportunities.
He said what had once appeared to be a distraction in his daughter’s case eventually became a pathway to an international academic opportunity.
The achievement adds to a growing number of Nigerian students gaining academic recognition abroad and demonstrating proficiency in languages outside Nigeria’s traditional educational and linguistic environment.
