It's a Small Planet

I graduated from Wagner College in Staten Island. Being a small school of no particular distinction that no one has ever heard of, when asked where I went to college, I generally reply, "I went to a small college in Staten Island." Last night, I was having dinner with Tanimu Yakubu, the C.E.O. of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, with whom I have been doing a lot of work over the last week. I asked him where he was educated and he replied, "I went to a small college in Staten Island." You can figure out the rest.

Comments

[David]

Funny, I attend a small school in the US Midwest and this summer, while working on Wall Street, my classic response to inquiries about my education was: "A small liberal arts college in the Midwest"

Of course, Wall Street bankers are notoriously prestige-obsessed, so my response never worked. They always wanted to know details... and my instincts were always proved correct: no one knows my school. lol

I stumbled across your blog from another Nigerian blog. I can't wait to finish with my analyst program in NYC and move back home to work for some financial institution.

[Efe]

Hey Jack,
Glad to see you are being open-minded about your experience in Nigeria. I am of course Nigerian. When people do ask me about it I give them all the good and all the bad. No mincing words! haha! But as with every new environment it is up to one to set their minds to making adjustments if it is where they want to be. I currently live and work in New Jersey and I have been here for the past nine years but I visit Nigeria at least once a year. But I must say even with "a land flowing with milk and honey" like the U.S. it was still quite difficult for me to adjust initially. Missed home like crazy!!!!. So I point is as with anything in life your determination is what will take you far. Anyway, enough of my "soapboxing" :o).

There is always a standing joke that even if you look in the hills of Nepal or Tibet or even Artartica you will find a Nigerian...LOL....So please do not be surprised at finding someone who went to your "small college in Staten Island". Heh! Heh! Continued best wishes on your "Nigerian adventure" and stay safe okay. Enjoy!

[RONW]

Everything all in one paragraph. Reader's Digest stuff, my friend.