As someone who was not born in this country (United States of America), I feel comfortable discussing this topic from a vantage position as a naturalized citizen of the United States who arrived here at the age of 25. The first general rule of any presentation is to know the composition of your audience. Let us do a check. I am assuming that a majority of the individuals in this hall are Nigerians like me with a physical therapy degree. Lets show by raising of the hand, how many people in the hall meet these criteria? During this presentation, I will share with you my American voyage; review the contributions of Nigerians to the economic development of America; discuss the challenges facing immigrants in America; assess the motivation for coming to America; and discuss how you can contribute to the development of physical therapy education in Nigeria. I will conclude by discussing the seven basic tenets of having a rewarding professional life.

 

* Keynote address presented at the Obafemi Awolowo University Physical Therapy Alumni Conference held at Embassy Suite Hotel, Parsippany, New Jersey on June 25, 2010.