Nigerian Kienka wins rare All America Sports Academic Scholar Award

LUKMAN OLOGUNRO |

Tamina Kienka, who left Nigeria for studies in the United States as one of the top junior tennis players, has been named to the 2015 All American Division 1 Academic mens team selected and announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America last week.
Earning the distinction of Academic All-American is quite an honour because it celebrates those athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics and sports in the entire USA each year.
“The award is symbolic of Kienka’s scholarly talent” said Dr Curtis Lawson, the director of tennis at the North Carolina Central University where Kienka is a senior (final year).
Tamina Kienka is the first NCCU tennis player to ever earn Academic All-America acclaim and won at the district level in 2014 and 2015.
He played a total of 53 matches in four years at NCCU and capped his collegiate career 7-2 in his nine trips onto the court.
In academics, the 20 year old from the Rivers State of Nigeria, entered the spring semester with a 4.0 grade point average (GPA). A biology (pre-med) and pharmaceutical science major, Kienka received the Department of Biology award for the highest performance by a senior.
is part of the NCCU’s Honours Program, A chancellor’s scholar, Thurgood Marshall leadership Institute Scholar, undergraduate research scholar at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and president of the NCCU’s Student Honour Council.