Chinma Njoku Selected to Give Commencement Speech
12/15/2023 10:00:00 AM | General, Women's Basketball
Chinma Njoku arrived on campus with massive expectations for herself. A decorated two-sport athlete from Century High School in Pocatello, Idaho, Njoku was coming off a season where she was named the 4A Player of the Year after leading the Diamondbacks to a perfect 27-0 record and a state championship.
She came to Boise State to become a member of the distinguished women’s basketball program that was coming off its third-straight Mountain West Tournament title. Possessing a raw athleticism that the program hadn’t seen, expectations were high for Njoku.
Unfortunately, multiple injuries derailed her playing career and she medically retired prior to the 2022-23 season. Though she came to Boise State with expectations of athletic glory, Njoku focused on making an impact off the court and in the local community. She was determined to find a way to stay involved with the program and serve others, and it was important to her to maintain a high academic standard.
Her perseverance, determination and work ethic led to one of the most prestigious recognitions for a student at Boise State as she was selected as one of two student speakers at commencement on Saturday, Dec. 16. Njoku will represent the College of Health as the commencement speaker for the 10 a.m. ceremony.
“IT WAS A HARD ADJUSTMENT”
Chinma’s parents, Raphael and Chiddimma, are first-generation immigrants from Nigeria. Though born in Canada, Chinma moved to Louisville, Ky., when she was four. Spending eight years there, Njoku and her family were among several other Nigerian families. When the family moved to Pocatello, Idaho, when Chinma was 12, the difference was stark.
“It was a massive culture shock,” Chinma said. “Growing up in Kentucky, I was very fortunate to be around other Nigerians. I thought that having that sort of diversity was the normal thing. I didn’t think twice about coming to Idaho - I thought I’d be around more Nigerians just in a different state. Then I came here and there were no Nigerians here. That was a hard adjustment.”
Njoku had never played organized sports prior to moving to Pocatello. Her friend’s father encouraged her to try basketball and she instantly fell in love with the sport.
“Through basketball I was able to find my community and my sense of belonging,” she said.
Njoku’s natural athletic ability led to success not only on the hardwood, but on the volleyball court as well. She was prosperous in both sports, winning a total of four state championships with the Diamondbacks and a handful of first-team all-state recognition in both sports.
Her high school success garnered the attention from several collegiate coaches in both sports who were impressed with her athletic prowess. Boise State women’s basketball head coach Gordy Presnell was one of the many Division I head coaches who were impressed by Njoku’s natural athletic ability. Once he got to know her off the court, she became a top target on his recruiting board.
“She had an elite level of athleticism that we hadn’t seen before,” Presnell said. “It was very appealing to us. The athleticism stood out so much. Then you get to talk to her and she was academically sound. Her parents are very academically-inclined people as well. Once we got to know her and see her personality, it was a no-brainer.”
After juggling several Mountain West offers in both sports, Njoku signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Boise State in 2019.
“It wasn’t a really tough decision,” Njoku said. “When I came to Idaho, basketball was the sport that brought me my community. I remember my last game, the 4A State Championship game. We won it and I knew I couldn’t say goodbye to basketball. It was such a surreal moment and I wanted it to continue.”
“Coming on a visit and seeing the culture and everything, I knew that Boise was perfect,” she said. “It was the happy medium. It just felt right. I just knew that that was the culture that I wanted to be a part of.”
“I HAD TO FIND A WAY TO CONTRIBUTE"
Njoku arrived on campus in the summer of 2019 with a desire to contribute for the storied program. She redshirted her first year with the Broncos and witnessed the team win a Mountain West Tournament Championship in 2020. The team was looking to make a run at the NCAA Tournament, but the joy was short-lived when the Covid-19 pandemic caused the postseason to be canceled.
That team, led by seniors Jayde Christopher, A’Shanti Coleman, Braydey Hodgins and Riley Lupfer, laid a foundation that left an impression on Njoku. With a front row seat to the work effort that the senior class put in, she worked tirelessly over the summer to make sure she was ready to contribute on the court.
That work paid off in her first collegiate game as she recorded a double-double, registering 14 points and 12 rebounds in the season-opener of the 2020-21 season against College of Idaho. Two nights later, she pulled down 11 rebounds in 15 minutes in a win over Weber State. Two games in and her career was off to a promising start.
However, in her third game against Eastern Washington, Njoku went down with a knee injury that would require three separate surgeries. After a promising start, her season was over. Njoku was meticulous during the rehab process, working tirelessly with the athletic training staff to get herself back on the court. Fifteen months after her initial injury, Njoku returned to the court, playing three minutes in two games during the 2021-22 season. However, after further evaluation, it was revealed that her knee never fully healed from the initial surgery.
Doctors told Njoku that she could get another surgery and start the whole process over again, but there was no guarantee her knee would heal. After considering the options with her family, she made the decision to medically retire prior to the 2022-23 season. The sport that had oriented her since she arrived in Idaho for middle school was no more. Njoku was devastated.
“It was definitely challenging,” Njoku said. “I think it took more of a mental toll than a physical toll. With injuries, everyone thinks of the physical aspect with the rehab and all that. No one really talks about the mental toll that it will take. It hit me hard.”
In her lowest moments, she leaned on her family, teammates, coaches and support staff. She remained close with the team and kept herself as busy as she could.
“I had to find a way to contribute off the court,” she said. “That was definitely something different. It was a very humbling experience. I knew I didn’t want to be remembered as the girl that had injuries. I told myself that I have to figure something out that’s outside of the box. I had to find a way to contribute. That’s all I had to work with.”
With that mindset, Njoku agreed to stay on the women’s basketball team as a manager for the 2022-23 season. In that role, she helped in whatever way she could, including keeping stats for the coaching staff, helping the freshman learn plays and rebounding for student-athletes.
“I just tried to fill in the gaps in any way possible,” she said. “I told myself I wanted to be a positive figure off the court. It was a different setting to be around but I’m very grateful for that opportunity.
Presnell was elated to have her as a manager. On top of normal managing responsibilities, Presnell and the staff thought her positivity and perseverance could provide a lot to the young team. They envisioned a role where she could mentor the team – particularly the star-studded freshman cast – on some of the ins and outs of what it takes to be a student-athlete.
“She has great resiliency,” he said. “She has an ability to try and help. She has a giving spirit. She was a member of the team even though she didn’t fulfill what she hoped for athletically because of the knee injury. It was a terrible injury that affected her whole career but she took the bright side of it all. She was an example to everyone in terms of academic commitment. She was a part of every day in practice, every game. She was really a great influence on others, especially our freshmen that were going through adversity. I’m really proud of her."
For all her contributions for the 2022-23 season, it went without debate that the program would recognize her on senior day. Prior to the game against Utah State, Njoku was recognized with her family prior to the tipoff for all that she brought to the program.
“It meant the world to get a senior night,” Njoku said. “I remember thinking of how I was freshman year when I redshirted and then that night. So much had changed and there was so much growth and development. It just felt right.”
Her gratefulness was demonstrated at the team’s end-of-season banquet. At these banquets, Presnell typically has each senior give a short speech. Njoku went overboard, singling out every single member of the coaching staff and the support staff about how they specifically helped her through her lowest moments. While speaking to each staffer, one of her teammates would hand them a rose that Njoku had bought herself. Most people in the room were brought to tears, including Njoku herself.
“I’m insanely grateful,” Njoku said. “My support group was there for me from the beginning and that made a huge difference. They made me the woman that I am today. I’m very grateful that they believed in me. Even when I medically retired, they still believed in me and knew that my story wasn’t over. They told me that they weren’t going to let this injury prevent me from being the best version of myself. I’m very grateful.”
“YOU HAVE TO BE HUNGRY FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT”
In the face of adversity on the court, Njoku kept herself busy off of it. She served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), facilitating community service projects and outreach programs and leading seminars with student-athletes on leadership roles, networking and mentoring techniques.
She also kept up to standard in the classroom. Majoring in Health Studies with an emphasis in science and a minor in psychology, Njoku was recognized as the Mountain West Scholar Athlete and a member of the Academic All-MW. A member of the Dean’s List all four years, Njoku will graduate with a 3.925 cumulative GPA.
This past semester, Njoku volunteered at BroncoLife, running point on a project focused on the health and identity of student-athletes after sports. She also helped work on a suicide awareness program for student-athletes and helped with the BroncoBold Mental Health Initiative.
Njoku’s determination to fight through hardships, natural drive to help others and academic prowess made her a prime candidate to represent the College of Health Studies as a student-speaker at commencement. After encouragement from several advisors, Njoku submitted an application, which was reviewed by a committee composed of two deans, two members of the faculty senate and members of student government. On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Njoku received the news that she had been chosen as the commencement speaker.
At Century High School, Njoku gave a speech in front of 200 people On Saturday, roughly 1,500 attendees are expected to be in attendance. Njoku is still putting on the finishing touches on the speech and is shooting for seven to nine minutes.
“I’m planning to talk about how everyone has a purpose and story,” she said. “I wanted to reemphasize that our existence is so unique, so who are we to not choose the things that we want to chase? I wanted to remind my class that life doesn’t give you many second chances so you have to be hungry for the things that you want.”
Njoku plans to stay at Boise State to pursue a nursing degree and will begin taking classes in the spring semester. Once completed, she wants to open her own clinic, specializing in labor and delivery and serve underrepresented communities with quality healthcare.
“I’ve learned these last four years that I find a great sense of pride and identity in helping others,” Njoku said. “I want to give other mothers, especially minority women, the opportunity to safely give birth and have quality resources. My mom’s nurses were her guardian angels and I want to be that as a nurse.”
“She’ll be incredibly successful at whatever she chooses to do,” Presnell said. “She has an incredible family support group. She has an amazing amount of academic success behind her. She has a giving spirit, one that will continue that kind of stewardship and mentorship the rest of her life. I’m incredibly proud of her. I’m so glad that she was a Bronco. What an example to everyone that when things don’t go your way, you still make the best of it.”
As she prepares the finishing touches on her speech, Chinma has spent a lot of time reflecting on what these four years at Boise State have meant to her.
“I’ve always been a person that is just ‘go-go-go,’” she said. “I don’t always take a moment to take a look back at everything. I think this week of reflecting and talking to other people I realized a lot has happened these past four years. To be called a role model and to represent my class is a humbling and great feeling.”
