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From Nigeria to New Hampshire: South Cobb graduate headed to Dartmouth.AUSTELL — South Cobb High School graduate Ekomobong “Danielle” Uruak has always followed her mother’s advice to “be focused and learn.” Now it’s paying off.This fall Uruak, 17, of Austell, will head north to Hanover, New Hampshire, to attend Dartmouth College, planning to major in biochemistry.She will be a first-generation college student after her family immigrated to the United States from Nigeria.“I really like diversity, and I also like having a lot of opportunities in a really well-funded school because I know that when you take advantage of it, it will just help you set apart,” Uruak said.“I knew that not only do they (Dartmouth) have a really strong Nigerian community, but they also had really good opportunities for students in my major.” Originally from the Akwa Ibom state and tribe in Lagos, Uruak and her mother Grace Uruak moved to the U.S.in 2017 for new opportunities.The family initially settled in Kansas, then packed their bags to move to Cobb County after being drawn in by the area’s work opportunities for her mother and the strong cultural resources provided in the area.After graduating from Clay Elementary and Lindley Middle schools, the Uruaks moved to Austell so Danielle Uruak could attend South Cobb High School, specifically to enroll in the school’s Medical Sciences Magnet Program.Throughout high school, she underwent a rigorous, science-focused curriculum — including biology, chemistry, anatomy, biotechnology and research courses — that gradually built her confidence in her ability to take on a career in medicine.“It wasn’t until I took the AP exams and I got a really good score … that I thought, ‘Wait, I actually can do this.I just need to be more confident and believe in my abilities,’” she said.Tiffany Jones, a South Cobb science teacher who taught many of Uruak’s courses, was one staff member who helped to instill that confidence, Uruak said.Throughout the college application process, Jones said she takes on a limited number of students to help with interviews and write recommendation letters.Having seen Uruak, whom she called a “rockstar,” grow over the course of four years, Jones said she knew Uruak had the skills needed to take on the Ivy League.“All the magnet schools in Cobb are tackling high school on hard mode, and (Uruak) handled it with a smile on her face and giggles every time she was in my classroom,” Jones said.“We really push these students to their potential, it’s not easy.” “Coming out of that, leading the pack, means Danielle is ready for whatever comes next.She has the soft skills, the technical skills and the application skills to tackle anything Dartmouth throws at her.” Once past Dartmouth, Uruak plans to continue her educational journey in medical school, where she hopes to one day work in either anesthesiology, dermatology or orthodontics.On top of her biochemistry major, she plans to add two minors in finance and engineering to her course schedule.From a young age, Uruak knew she wanted to do something in the medical field, as it was a career path that would provide her an opportunity to “contribute and give back to people,” she said.“I just love learning about the human body and just the human race in general,” Uruak said.“There (are) so many questions that we don’t know or we don’t have (answers to), and I remember just being so fascinated when I was being introduced to such detailed information by a lot of researchers who put so much effort into this.” Uruak was especially drawn to the medical field thanks to an internship she worked in at Wellstar Health System, where she said she got to apply her knowledge to a real-world setting.She was able to secure the opportunity thanks to her mother, who works as a teacher for Wellstar’s hospital school and daycare.After connecting with a preoperative nurse at Wellstar, Uruak began shadowing her and providing assistive support on the hospital floor, performing various tasks such as ♦ Setting up surgical trays and tools; ♦ Preparing anesthetic drugs and appropriate needle sizes; ♦ Setting up EKG monitors; ♦ Assisting with patient documentation and allergy recording; ♦ Observing nerve block procedures; ♦ Visiting the operating room to gain hands-on interaction with surgical equipment.“It felt like I was actually really working there,” Uruak said.“I feel like it was worth it, putting myself through that experience, because if I’m actually gonna be working in conditions like this, I have to put myself in the actual experience of maybe not eating for hours, and going back to back with patients, or handling angry patients (and) getting that full experience.” Uruak credits South Cobb’s Magnet Program, supportive teaching and diverse student body really helped to shape her success.“Now when I go to a college, I already know what to do when I’m doing a research paper, or I’m actually conducting an experiment or I’m looking for research journals to use to back up my statements,” she said.Although her daughter will soon be living more than 1,000 miles away from home, Grace Uruak said she could not be more proud of her daughter and her future.“I used to teach her, ‘Just be focused and learn.Be focused and learn,’” Grace Uruak said.“I’m proud of her because every word I told her, that’s what she did.”