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Profile in Excellence
in Santa Ana, California in December 2012. Ifesinachi has worked for some of the leading financial institutions in America including the World Bank in Washington DC, Union Bank of California, Wells Fargo Bank, Citibank and Bank of America. Currently she is a Senior Mortgage Banker with Bank of the West - PNB Paribas while she contemplates her legal career. Dr. Ugwuonye loves giving back to the less privileged and started the ‘Sinachi Scholarship Foundation in 1999 with the goal of offering educational scholarships to the less privileged back home in Nigeria. Today the Sinachi foundation has offered scholarships to over twenty college and college-bound girls and SUMMER 2013
has plans to expand its schemes to help more students. She is the mother of two great children Prince Chidera Funsho Idowu- 22 and Princess Akachi Adaobi - 9. In this interview with our Publisher, Hon. Chike Nweke, Dr. Ugwuonye talks about her background, her growing up years, her dreams and her hopes for Nigeria. Please tell us a little bit about your family background and your growing up years? Thank you Hon. Chike Nweke for your time and interest in my story. Well, for me, growing up was quite an adventure; some pleasant and some not so pleasant. But of course, that is probably how
it is for every one. On the family side, it was somewhat complicated. I was born towards the end of the Biafran/Nigerian Civil War in a Town called Umumba NdiUno in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State. I was told that my father, Prince Michael Ugwuonye died tragically when I was only two years old. He was less than 40 years old. I was mostly brought up by my aunt, my father’s sister with some stops here and there. I then lived with my aunt’s first son - my cousin in Benin City where I attended Elementary School. My father’s father, Ezeani Ugwuonye was the traditional ruler of my town and is still described as very wise man that rendered some interesting rulings in deciding some major town issues. He LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 17