Okezie Eleweanya is academically gifted, musically-inclined and community-oriented. At 16-years old, the former deputy head boy at John Gray High School earned numerous academic merits and maintained a 3.5 GPA while acquiring 12 CSEC examination passes (ten (10) at a Grade 1 score). Besides his exemplary grades, Okezie was a member of many school clubs and participated in academic competitions, including the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the Brain Bowl, Conyers Debating Tournament, inter-school chess and the DART Minds Inspired Math Challenge.
In 2017 Okezie was recognised by the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps (CICC) with an academic achievement award. His extensive engagement in the Corps’ consisted of volunteering at local parades, fundraising galas, marathons and other community events, all of which have been supplemented by a disciplined pursuit of cadet training opportunities.
In 2018 Okezie was awarded a silver medal in singing from the National Children’s Festival of the Arts. Throughout his high school years he was a senior member of the school swing band and often performed at charitable and school events.
As he continued to maintain a strong presence at cadet activities and training, Ozekie was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer’ in 2019 and assisted the Corp’s with official duties during the royal visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
He competed at the Cayman Arts Festival with the University College of the Cayman Islands’ (UCCI) Jazz Band in 2020. Okezie’s discipline for music and his cadet duties, remain one in the same. He is also an inaugural member of the YMCA ’Teen Lead On Programme’ and has widened his youth empowerment efforts by working with the Department of Children and Family Services to offer mentorship and tutoring support to a youth in need of a role model. Additionally, he has completed a child preacher’s training course with the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. He continues to inspire others to be change-makers in their community.
Once he completes his studies in sciences at UCCI, Okezie wants to pursue a career as an aeronautical engineer. His goal is to one day design vehicles to make space travel accessible to everyone.