Chidindu Ohaegbulam

From Antigua & Barbuda to the U.S.: A YA Alum Leading Through Service and Research

Chidindu Ohaegbulam joined the Youth Ambassadors (YA) Caribbean exchange to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2023, where he built lasting ties with the host community and partner institutions. He credits the YA experience as a major factor in his admission to Davidson College in North Carolina, where he began a full scholarship in Fall 2024 to study Physics and Economics. The Youth Ambassadors (YA) program develops youth leadership capacity and builds bonds of friendship and understanding between people of the Americas. It is managed by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) at Georgetown University and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

In August 2025, Chidindu returned to Charlottesville with fellow alumnus Damien Kerseborn to join the current YA Caribbean cohort and local high school students in a workshop titled “Youth Civic Activism: What is it? What forms does it take?” Both alumni shared their leadership experiences, community projects, and challenges in advancing civic change. Chidindu was especially enthusiastic about answering participants’ questions on applying to U.S. colleges, offering practical advice and sharing his own experience with the admissions process. His participation underscored his ongoing commitment to the program and his determination to build bridges between youth in the Caribbean and the United States.

At Davidson, Chidindu has embraced a wide range of academic and leadership opportunities. He is a Bonner Scholar, serves as a Student Government Association senator, and is active in the Wildcat Motorsports Baja SAE team and men’s club soccer. In Spring 2025, he was recognized with the Davidson Black Alumni Network Award, which honors students who demonstrate leadership and advocacy in the spirit of the network. The award highlighted his role as a former Youth Ambassador, his student government leadership, and his service through Studicate, where he continues to provide access and support to students across the Caribbean.

In Fall 2024, he also began working with C2i, a research initiative at Davidson, where he contributes to projects with national and global impact. Reflecting on this work, he noted: “I was pleasantly surprised to find that the work I do for C2i. Even as a freshman, is always going towards a greater research project/mission for the benefit of not only Davidson, but other institutions across the US and world.” Looking ahead, he hopes to build the research and data-collection skills needed to take on independent research and a senior thesis.

Meanwhile, his original YA community project in Antigua & Barbuda continues to thrive under the team he established there, and he recently launched the Caribbean Students Association at Davidson, creating new space for cultural exchange and connection on campus.

Chidindu’s story demonstrates how Youth Ambassadors alumni stay connected to the program, inspire new participants, and expand their impact as leaders committed to service, advocacy, research, and cross-cultural understanding.

Related Program

Youth Ambassadors

Youth Ambassadors is a cultural exchange program designed to strengthen the leadership skills of young people from the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. It builds bonds of friendship and understanding between people of the Americas and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.