Posts tagged BoardingSchoolExperience
뿌리를 위하여| Back to the Roots: Why I Sent My American Kid to a Nigerian Boarding School — The One With Dr. Elizabeth Ajayi-Bridges | Episode 26 (2025)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 뿌리를 위하여| Back to the Roots: Why I Sent My American Kid to a Nigerian Boarding School — The One With Dr. Elizabeth Ajayi-Bridges | Episode 26 (2025)

Can you imagine sending your 8-year-old back to your home country for school after immigrating to another country? Before you say, “Heck no!” Especially my Naija people, you might want to listen to this episode.

This week, we’re joined by the remarkable Dr. Elizabeth Ajayi-Bridges: educator, community builder, founder, and mother extraordinaire. We both met in boarding school almost three decades ago.  In this captivating conversation, she takes us on a journey through her life as a Nigerian-American woman shaped by both Brooklyn and boarding school. And yes, she made the bold decision to send her American-born daughter back to Nigeria for high school, not as a punishment, but as an intentional investment in identity, discipline, and legacy.

From her own cross-continental upbringing to raising bicultural children, Dr. Elizabeth shares how early immersion in a Nigerian boarding school (beginning at age 8) sharpened her independence, forged resilience, and even earned her an unforgettable nickname. We unpack what it means to truly belong, as she redefines home not as a zip code but as “where you make an impact.”

This episode is for every parent questioning how to raise grounded kids in a culture that often feels disconnected from their roots, and for anyone navigating the in-between of heritage and new beginnings. We also explore her passion for civic leadership, the role of faith, and how she’s preparing the next generation to lead with both heart and heritage.

Tune in now to learn why, for some families, going “back” can be a powerful step forward.

Contact Dr. Elizabeth directly: e.ajayibridges@gmail.com

Let her know you found her through The More Sibyl Podcast.


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자폐증의 우주 및 작업| The One with Chioma Nwokolo - On Space & Work in Autism: Episode 23 (2022)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Chioma Nwokolo - On Space & Work in Autism

I met Chioma in secondary school (Federal Government Girls’ College, Oyo). We didn’t talk much until later, although I would see her a lot on Facebook doing her thing and being inspirational. Since I shared my experience with my daughter Ariife, Chioma has been one of her most loving online aunties. We recently got into a conversation and talked more about what she’s been up to, and I knew she had to come on the podcast.

Chioma is a child development tutor and therapist who specializes in helping kids with autism. You feel so much passion when she talks about these topics. We started by talking a bit about her experiences thus far, and she shared about being born in Lagos and why she moved to Jos and then Abuja, where she has been for the last eighteen years.

Chioma shared her experience at FGGC Oyo, the values instilled in her, and how they have formed her to become the woman she is today. An educationist, she shared the challenges and possible solutions to the failing Nigerian educational system. She shares ideas and strategies for effecting the change we all want to see.

How did she begin working with children with special needs? She tells us and shares how to care for children with special needs and how the Nigerian government might build better structures to support children with special needs and their parents.

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