Her name  

Her family

Her clothes

Her awkwardness

Niger

Nigeria

Nicaragua

Namibia

It’s easier to fit in if you are similar to other around you.

You should be proud of who and what you are, even if it makes you different.

Having friends is not the most important thing when you are a Nigerian girl.

 It’s important to see yourself the way others see you.

“Immaculeta means ‘purity’, ‘Uzoma’ means ‘the good road’ and . . . ” Having heard her words,I stopped walking away and turned around in amazement. What does Achilike mean?” I asked. After a long pause she calmly said, “Achilike means ‘to rule without force.’” I was astonished and pleased. I never knew what my name meant.”

“…of all the names in the world, how I could have possibly been stuck with such an alien one. I thought about all the popular kids in the class. I figured that I wasn’t popular because of my weird name. I put some things together in my mind and came up with a plausible equation: COOL NAME = POPULARITY.”

I never really recovered from the shock of that day. From that day forward, the first day of school was always my most feared day. I didn’t know what to do; all I could do was to tell my teachers, “I go by Imma.”

My name is Immaculeta Uzoma Achilike. I am the daughter of first-generation Nigerian immigrants. I am the daughter of hardworking and brave parents. My name means “to rule without force.” My grandfather was a wealthy man of generous character. When I say my name in Nigeria, people know me as the granddaughter of a wealthy man of generous character. They know me by my name. There my name is not embossed on any pencil or vanity plate. It is etched in the minds of the people.

She accepts and is proud of her name which represents her Nigerian background.

She continues to long to be like her friends.

 She dreads the first day of school each year.

She becomes jealous of all the girls with common, pretty names.

“…of all the names in the world, how I could have possibly been stuck with such an alien one. I thought about all the popular kids in the class. I figured that I wasn’t popular because of my weird name. I put some things together in my mind and came up with a plausible equation: COOL NAME = POPULARITY.” 

“Immaculeta means ‘purity’, ‘Uzoma’ means ‘the good road’ and . . . ” Having heard her words,I stopped walking away and turned around in amazement. What does Achilike mean?” I asked. After a long pause she calmly said, “Achilike means ‘to rule without force.’” I was astonished and pleased. I never knew what my name meant.”

"My name is Immaculeta Uzoma Achilike. I am the daughter of first-generation Nigerian immigrants. I am the daughter of hardworking and brave parents. My name means “to rule without force.” My grandfather was a wealthy man of generous character. When I say my name in Nigeria, people know me as the granddaughter of a wealthy man of generous character. They know me by my name. There my name is not embossed on any pencil or vanity plate. It is etched in the minds of the people."

To be gentle

To hunt bison

To rule without force

To be happy

Taking attendance

During the pledge of allegiance

During drama class

 During P.E.

She is scared of being alone.

She is embarrassed.

She meets an alien.

She feels proud.

"on the heart of my country."

 "on the walls of my home."

 "in the halls of my school."

"in the minds of people."

She has realized  that her name is important to other people.

She has realized that she should teach others about the meaning behind her name.

She has realized that her connection to her roots is more important than having a common name.

She has realized that other people might name their children uncommon names.

the registration day

the last day of school

the first day of school

her nameday