Woman of the Week (WOW): Ogechi Ugwulebo
Our Woman of the Week (WOW) is Ogechi Ugwulebo, Founder & National President, Association of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (ANWEP)Ogechi Ugwulebo is a Wife, Mother, Senior Software Engineer, Information Security Professional, Community Leader and Founder of the Association of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (ANWEP), a 501c(3) non-profit organization, registered in the state of Texas with a mission to empower women through education, role modeling, mentorship and support for women in crisis. As a leader, Ogechi inspires other minority women living in the state of Texas to give back to their immediate communities by making a positive impact through volunteerism and practical philanthropy.
Ogechi understands that role models and mentors help young women visualize themselves as Professionals and future Leaders which is why her mentoring efforts not only provide successful role models for future women in STEM, but also showcase the range of opportunities a STEM education makes possible. Ogechi recognizes that female education is a crucial component to poverty alleviation and investing in girls education also helps delay early marriage and parenthood.
Ogechi is originally from Nigeria and moved to the United states in 1996. Prior to moving to the United States, Ogechi obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Calabar in Nigeria.
Upon her arrival in the United States, Ogechi decided to pursue another Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Nevada in Reno and later obtained a Master of Science Degree in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas.
Among Ogechi’s many talents, one of her greatest passion is to give back to her community through active participation in empowering the next generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs.
Through ANWEP, Ogechi has developed the following programs:
1. “Confident Girl, Smart Choices” a free self esteem workshop for girls ages 9 through 17 that aims to create awareness, education and empowerment with an emphasis on the value of intelligence and competence.
2. “Empower Girls in STEM” initiative which is designed to give underrepresented groups, particularly girls and women, a window into STEM careers through mentorship and role modeling. It is Ogechi’s mission to increase the number of women in STEM through ANWEP’s career-focused programs and initiatives. Investing in young people’s education is very vital since it is directly correlated to employment opportunities, leadership and entrepreneurship. ANWEP awards academic scholarships annually to undergraduate female students in the four areas of STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
3. “Adopt-a-Family for the holidays”, Ogechi’s philanthropic spirit can be seen in her passion to make our community a better place to live by creating the Adopt-a-Family program which focuses on providing emergency assistance to families in need within the DFW communities and beyond. The goal is to make everyone’s Christmas wishes come true. ANWEP collects the list of wants for Christmas and endeavors to provide most items on the list or issue a gift card to enable the family to purchase food and other necessities.
4. “Support for Victims of Domestic Violence”, ANWEP participates as a Sponsor at the Denton County Friends of the Family (DCFOF) annual Holiday Express Fundraiser. DCFOF is a shelter for women who are victims of sexual and domestic abuse.
5. “Annual Awards Convention – Woman of the Year Award”, this program is designed to celebrate and honor extraordinary and inspirational women professionals and entrepreneurs whose work embody the spirit of ANWEP. The ANWEP Woman of the Year Award honors women who have led the way in advancing equity, economic security and leadership for women and girls in our communities through mentorship, leadership and contribution to the advancement of women in STEM or other male dominated fields. The ANWEP Woman of the Year is a mentor and trailblazer in her work and in her community activities. She is a role model and an example of achievement for both men and women.
6. “Chapters or Affiliates”, it is the goal of ANWEP to expand and extend its global reach through the formation of chapters or affiliates. Please visit our website to view our constitution if you are interested in starting a chapter of ANWEP in your state or city.
7. “Partnership and Sponsorship opportunities”, any individual or businesses can partner with us as a sponsor during our annual awards convention. If you are a business owner and would like to showcase your goods and services on a national/international scale, visit our website to complete the sponsorship request form. Our next annual awards convention will be held in Houston, TX in the summer of this year.
More information on ANWEP and its activities can be found on the ANWEP website at https://www.anwep-usa.org
**Community Leadership profile**
1. Former Vice President, African Union of Northern Nevada (AUNN) (the first woman to hold the office).
2. Former Secretary, Nigerian Association of Northern Nevada (NANN)
3. Former Secretary, Isiala Mbano Association (IMA DFW)
4. Current Secretary, Owerri Women Association (OWA DFW)
5. Active Member, Society of Women Engineers, Dallas Chapter
6. 2019 DYW (Design Your World STEM Conference for Girls) Planning Committee member