By Joyce Ashuntantang, Ph.D.
At 13, Martha Endum Teke became the youngest student to graduate from Saker Baptist College, Limbe Cameroon. Now, at 17, she joins Danielle McBurnett as the youngest graduate from a university nursing program in the USA. Endum received her degree, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Texas A &M University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude on May 21st 2010 and was equally inducted into the Nursing Honors Society. However, while McBurnett graduated from Arizona State University in 2009, she was homeschooled till the age of 12. Endum, on the other hand, took a route that began in an elementary school, in the USA to Saker Baptist College in Cameroon, West Africa. Born on September 4 1992 in Erie, Pennsylvania, Endum is the daughter of Martha and Mathias Teke who are originally from Cameroon and reside in Dallas, Texas. The young Endum’s success has been a combination of intelligence and discipline on her part and foresight on the part of her parents.
Endum receiving her prestigious Nursing pin.
Endum’s mother who is also named Martha, decided as soon as she was born that she will attend her alma mater, Saker Baptist College. Her reasons were three fold, “I wanted my daughter to grow in an environment where she will develop total self confidence without the cloud of racism limiting her self-esteem. Secondly as an alumnus of Saker Baptist College, I knew the kind of education she was going to get. It benefitted me several years ago and I knew it would be the same for my daughter. Thirdly, I wanted her to know her extended family in Cameroon; I wanted her to know the people behind her so she has a sense of her identity”. Despite these lofty reasons the decision was not a simple one. In fact the extended family in Cameroon resisted because they did not want to take responsibility if anything went wrong with the young Endum. They believed that a kid who had been born and raised in the USA would not survive the rigors of a boarding school in Cameroon. To complicate matters the young Endum was an only child at the time. However when she completed 3rd grade, Mr. and Mrs. Teke decided to take a leap of faith and Endum was sent to Saker Baptist college, Limbe. She was barely 9 years old. Fortunately, Saker Baptist College, which is the equivalent of a middle/high school in the USA, is one of the best in Cameroon. The school which draws its name from the British baptist missionary, Alfred Saker, was founded in 1962 by American Baptist missionaries. Since its inception, Saker, an all-girls boarding school, has proven to be a beacon for quality education framed with Christian ideals. In addition, Saker Baptist College boasts a robust alumni organization, EXSSA (Ex Saker students Association), USA. This alumni organization with over 500 women from all works of life is a dynamic force in the Diaspora. Since Endum’s mother, Martha Akwa Teke, is a founding member of EXSSA USA and a founding president of the Dallas Chapter, Endum had the privilege of meeting many accomplished sakerettes (as ex students are fondly called). So even as a child she understood the caliber of women who had gone through Saker.
While in Saker, Endum surprised everyone with her resilience. The truth is, about three months before she left for school in Cameroon, her mother tested her with the Saker routine from waking up at dawn to keeping strict schedules. By the time the young child left for Cameroon, her parents were sure she was up to the task. However, they could not take chances with malaria and any other diseases which the young Endum could pick up because she was not accustomed to the environment. A friend of the family, Dr. Ogwu, got into gear, and prepared a mobile pharmacy for the girl- with everything ranging from malaria prevention medication to wound care supplies. Despite all these, when Endum got to Saker, it was still an uphill climb. As she explains “I had to adjust to everything. The other students found my accent strange and they made fun of me. I was used to Cameroonian food but I had to get used to the portions served at school which I found small; I had to learn to wash clothes with my hands and also to bathe with cold water”. When asked, how she survived all this, Endum answered “I was determined to succeed. When I was leaving the USA, many people kept saying I would not make it to the end of the school year, and I don’t like it when people say I cannot do something, so I was challenged to endure. Also my parents had prepared me for the most part to expect some of the difficulties. Once I survived the first year, other years were easy and by the time I got to form five, it was my parents who were forcing me to come back to the USA for vacation.” In this way Endum adjusted and graduated from Saker in 2006 with 10 papers at the GCE Ordinary level. She was only 13. Her grades were also excellent, Economics-A, Geography A- Maths –A Religion-A, Biology-B, Further Maths-B Chemistry-B, Physics-B History-B. Graduation from Saker Baptist College at 13!
In terms of the values she gained in Saker and Cameroon in general, Endum is very articulate and passionate, “First of all Saker being a Christian school instilled in me faith based values. With morning and evening devotions as part of our daily routine, I learned to have respect for God. Then there is the Saker tradition of singing- now I sing in my church- this is also my way of praising God. Also I learned discipline. There was a strict routine to follow. A time to eat, prep time for studies, and there was a bell to prompt us. This has helped me to always organize myself in a productive manner. Thirdly, the expectations in Saker force one to study and work hard. Everyone in Cameroon values education, so every student wants to learn. Results are announced, so you have to work hard. In the USA, education seems to be a question of choice for students and unless they have very dedicated parents and teachers, they can easily fall on the way side, but in Cameroon it is everybody who is cheering you on. Above all, I learned how to respect my peers and my elders. When it comes to respect there’s a huge difference between Cameroon and the USA. Here students call their teachers by first names. It is true this breaks barriers but it also creates a climate where students don’t respect teachers and this equally creates a barrier to learning. The truth is with respect comes humility- that is why I do not consider myself special in any way”
Armed with these values, Endum was ready at 13 to enroll in a college to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor. Fortunately for her, her parents believed that her Saker education had prepared her well for the American college system and did not force her to repeat high school in the US as some Cameroonian/African parents have done. Nevertheless, her parents were aware that being away in college needed a certain maturity beyond her years, so she enrolled in Colin County Community college close to home. Here she picked up pre-requisites for a degree in Nursing because Endum and her parents believe that she will be a more patient-oriented medical doctor if she becomes a nurse first. At 15, Endum got admitted to the Texas A &M Health Science Center to pursue a B.Sc in Nursing. Her parents allowed her to go away this time but unfortunately as a 3rd year student she was only granted an off campus housing. This meant cooking her own food and doing laundry as well. Once more her parents knew that this was quite heavy for a 15 year old and this in addition to carrying a 17 credits course load. So every two weeks Endum’s mom, Martha drove to college station with cooked food to last two weeks and picked up dirty laundry and even took out trash. Mom did not have to worry for too long because once Endum’s classmates and teachers got to know her age, they rallied around with every support they could offer including rides to school, since Endum is yet to have her driver’s license.
As Endum confesses, the program was quite tedious for her especially when it came to transferring facts from textbooks to hands on patient care. In fact some students felt she was too young to be an effective nurse, but determined, she pressed on and with the help of dedicated teachers, she passed all her exams with a GPA of 3.83, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Her family of over fifty members dressed in traditional regalia was present to witness history as Endum climbed the rostrum to take her degree. Her parents who were seated on the podium barely contained their pride, let alone members of her church who all trooped to the graduation to celebrate one of their own.
Endum's immediate family- only a fraction of the "village" that has molded her.
With graduation behind her, Endum is now focused on her next step- getting admission into Harvard medical school. She knows it will be quite tough, but as Endum puts it, “I am not afraid, Saker Baptist College armed me with the right values and with my B.Sc in Nursing, and the grace of the Almighty God, I will forge ahead in faith”. With such a profound sense of determination, I know we have not heard the last of this bright, young and dynamic Sakerette. As our ancestors would say: Endum, our ears are to the ground…
* Dr. Joyce Ashuntantang is a proud alumnus of Saker Baptist College and teaches at Hillyer college, University of Hartford
Joyce you have so beautifully captured Endum's amazing story. This is truly a story that needs to be shouted out from the roof tops. She makes us all so proud, not just of her achievements, but for those who know her, the beautiful character and humility that she displays every day. We can only pray that the Lord will continue to watch over her and guide her according to his divine purpose for her life. To Martha and Mathias, well done!
Posted by: Anita | May 29, 2010 at 12:52 PM
I am still in awe of Endum's brilliant or is it "extra brilliant" achievement. Her humility is beyond compare. God Bless her dedicated parents. God Bless Saker Baptist College and all those who have supported her through this journey.
Posted by: Mojoko Ewusi | May 29, 2010 at 01:33 PM
With sincere gratitude, we Thank you Dr. Ashutantang for writing about Endum, and thinking it is a story worth writing. We also use this forum to Thank all those who have participated in Endum's life. By the grace of God and the help of our community, we hope she will continue moving forward.
Thanks again
Have a blessed day
The Teke family
Posted by: Mathias Teke | May 29, 2010 at 03:39 PM
This article could not be written any better.Endum has unmatchable qualities that are rare to find.She will continue to break records and make everyone proud.
Posted by: Erick Elung | May 29, 2010 at 09:27 PM
Dr. J, the capture in words of who Endum is, her personality, her brilliance, her strengths, her fear and love of GOD and family and her unfailing focus to succeed could not be stated any better than you have outlined in this article. The vision and dedication of Mathias and Martha are one to be reckoned with and applauded. May our good Lord continue to bless Endum and her entire family, Saker Baptist College and all present and past teachers/principals as well as ExSSAs all over the world.
Posted by: Dolly Lambe | May 30, 2010 at 01:11 AM
Well done Endum, may the Good Lord continue to guide your every step. Kudos to your parents and thanks Dr. J. for spreading the word, it's story worth telling!
Posted by: Judith Foyabo | May 31, 2010 at 08:35 PM
Dr J,
Thank you so much for such a wonderful write-up. It is so inspiring. We wish Endum more of God's grace as she journeys academically to higher heights. May God bless her parents for the foresight, courage and support to this wonderful daughter of ours.
Endum, the Lord is your strength. Remain focused and even the sky will not be your limit. Martha and Mathias, more elbow grease!
Posted by: Pat Nkweteyim | June 01, 2010 at 04:32 PM
Congratulations my dear lady.
I am proud of your achievement. This story really excites me because myself, I trained as a Nurse and later Nurse Anesthetist and today I am in med school.
Maintain your level of determination and remember to continue to exercise humility in the midst of this stunning achievement and I can assure that you will go places.
God bless you and your supportive parents.
Posted by: nshom | June 02, 2010 at 05:03 AM
Endum!...Represent oh...I'm very proud of you and praying for more successes as you proceed! I love that form 1 picture!!!
Posted by: Mbu Waindim | June 02, 2010 at 11:51 PM
Dear, its really a great encouragement and keep it up ,God is strongly on your side and take care not to leave his side
Posted by: aurore jumuka | June 03, 2010 at 05:54 AM
It's an amazing success story and one children and parents should learn from. Never say never. With God on your side, faith in Him and determination to succeed all mountains can always become like pebbles on the sea shore to walk on.
This is a story of humility, faith in God and determination we can copy from. Glory to God!!
Congratulations to all three great Ms!!
Posted by: TAPANG Joan Nkweteyim (ExSSA) | June 04, 2010 at 11:19 PM
Endum is such a humble and insightful young woman, wise beyond her years. To think, she did not even tell me about this article, I stumbled upon it. She is such a passionate lover of Jesus, and I am sure that He will continue to lead her to greater heights. I am blessed to know her and look forward to seeing what is in store for the future!
P.S. The joy and beauty of the Teke Family is made very evident in the last photograph!
Posted by: Eni | June 08, 2010 at 11:42 PM
Endum dear, i remember telling you to hang in there and be strong. That of course which you did. I remember telling you nursing school is not easy but very doable . Am sincerely proud of you and really happy for you and your parents. I look forward to your MD degree in just a bit dear.May the good Lord be your angel guardian as u take this academic journey.keep up ur faith. much love
Belinda Babila RN BSN
AGGIE from A &, M laredo tx.
Posted by: Belinda Babila | June 14, 2010 at 03:56 AM
Martha! this is lovely! Keep it up! You are a source of inspiration to many! GOD Bless You Richly!! Amen!!
Posted by: Ayuketah Eleanor | June 20, 2010 at 07:44 AM
Dr. J, this is well written. I read this piece and craved for more. I have heard so much about Martha. My kids left the USA, and met her in Saker some years ago. She is so inspiring and hardworking. Keep it up Martha, you are a role model to many. God bless.
Posted by: Simon Etta | August 23, 2010 at 11:55 AM
I am very proud to say that I know Ms Endum personally and this article described her accomplishments..We are very proud of her and as a fellow Sakerette it is such an honor whenever we hear of one of our own who is so well accomplished..Keep up the good work Endum and we know you will get that admission into Harvard..Thank you Sister Joyce for taking the time to write this article..
Posted by: Senge Elany Balimba | January 23, 2011 at 03:08 PM
What a wonderful story,god will continue be on your side my dear child.Thanks for all the time you spent over the phone to orient Jessica.My dear sky is the limit.love you aunty Ngonda.
Posted by: Esther Ngonda | May 17, 2011 at 01:21 AM
What a greatness,we from the cameroons are proud of you.Stay focused and God will see you through---RESPECT.
Posted by: TATA; ESEKE KEN: | November 10, 2012 at 02:17 AM