The Onoyovwi Sisters: From left, Akpevwe, majoring in Biology and Biotechnology, Eguono and Ofejiro, both majoring in Electrical Engineering. THE ONOYOVWI SISTERS Nigeria Is perfection attainable? Ask almost 18-year old Eguono Onoyovwi, an international student from Nigeria who got A+ in all of her first year engineering courses. "It was a lot of hard work but it was worth it," said Eguono. "Growing up, my sisters and I were trained to face our books and study hard, so we were always involved with our books." Eguono is not the only academic stalwart in the family; she has two sisters excelling, respectively, in Electrical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Windsor. Eguono's oldest sister, Ofejiro Onoyovwi, was a few months away from earning her engineering degree in Nigeria when she enrolled in the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Windsor. Knowing that she would have to start her under graduate program all over again in Canada, Ofejiro had mixed emotions about the decision. "At the end of the day, I think starting all over again was the best decision because I discovered that there were some things that I didn't know," explained Ofejiro. Ofejiro is now in her final year, preparing her curriculum vita and has plans to find a job in Calgary, maybe even to work for Shell Canada Limited. In the meantime, Ofejiro has gained work experience as an AV technician for the University of Windsor. She is also very active in the Christian Fellowship on campus. For Akpevwe Onoyovwi, the middle sister, Biology was her favourite subject in high school and so majoring in Biology and Biotechnology was a natural option that places her closer to attending medical school. It is very difficult for an international student to get admission to medical school in Canada but this will not deter Akpevew from her goal. She maintains a high G.P.A., has earned volunteer experience at a local hospital and is a part-time Mathematics and Statistics Teacher's Assistant at the University. When asked how she stays motivated to study hard and maintain a great average, she says: "My sisters and I keep each other motivated, it wouldn't make any sense for all three of us to be here and for one of us to do badly," explained Akepvew "It is a great boost of confidence that my sisters are doing great, in a way we pull ourselves up by keeping up with each others accomplishments." Eguono, the youngest sister who just started her second year in Engineering must have been trying really hard to keep up with her sisters. She finished her first year studies with perfect marks, A+ for all first year engineering courses. Twelve percent of engineering students at the University of Windsor are females, yet the few that are enrolled are outstanding students. In a class of 65 students, only 7 other students were females, says Eguono. But it is obvious that this fact did not hinder her aptitude for success. Next summer, Eguono will begin the Cooperative Education portion of her degree where she will receive paid internship in her field. She has already received numerous awards: an Entrance scholarship for achieving outstanding marks in high school, a Women in Engineering award, an Outstanding Scholars appointment and now a paid graduate assistant position. Eguono will work with Dr. Jonathan Wu, Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, on Machine Vision - the application of computer vision to industry and manufacturing. Engineering is perhaps the heaviest course load among all the programs offered at the University of Windsor. Each day, Eguono would spend long hours studying. "At some point it was getting really tiring and it wasn't good for me," reflected Eguono "By second semester I had to learn to do the right thing and pace myself, and I still managed to get good grades!" Eguono is not all about work; she knows how to relax and attend to her social needs and it helps a great deal that she has her sisters with her. They are all very active in their community of students and always make time for church. Eguono is also a member of the V.I.S.A. club, a program connecting Canadian students with international students through weekly social events and outings "I know I have a very tight schedule, but I think it is important to participate in school activities," said Eguono. "Canadians are really friendly, you just have to ask and they would help you." When asked what advice she would give to new students at the University, Eguono says: "I know that this will be new place and some students might just want to have fun during the first semester but they should remember that their parents have sent them here for a reason, so balance fun with studies because at the end of the day, grades matter."