When former President Barack Obama talks about hope, he points to students like Ikenna Okoye.
The SUNY Cortland sophomore recently earned praise from Obama in a social media post highlighting the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
“I am often asked what gives me hope — my answer is always the same,” Obama’s social media caption read. “The young people I work with through the Obama Foundation are doing the work in their communities to make this world a better, more inclusive place.”
Okoye, a physical education major from Uniondale, is one of 18 young ambassadors nationwide in the MBK Alliance. The program focuses on improving home communities through service and mentorship, with an emphasis on boys and young men of color.
Obama’s Feb. 6 Instagram post spotlighted Okoye as a positive role model. The post noted his ties to SUNY Cortland and his work helping elementary school students learn to read. The post drew more than 100,000 likes.
Okoye recorded a 45-second video in his residence hall room earlier this spring at the request of a mentor with the Obama Foundation. He said he didn’t know how or when the video would be used.
“I just wanted to make it as authentic as possible,” said Okoye, who belongs to SUNY Cortland’s Educational Opportunity Program, Cortland’s Urban Recruitment of Educators and several other campus groups focused on celebrating diversity.
Okoye and the other ambassadors met Obama in June after a weeklong mentorship experience in Washington, D.C.
“I never imagined I’d be in a position where I’m sitting in the same room as the former president,” he said.
Okoye said reading shaped his early life in Uniondale. He remembers finishing summer reading assignments quickly, only to have his father hand him another book.
“He’d always have another book ready waiting for me,” Okoye said. “But that just allowed me to grow and realize the importance of my education.”
He said reading built his confidence and helped him find his voice.
“I found that the more I read, the better I could navigate my own mind,” said Okoye. “It wasn’t just about the books. It was about building the tools to articulate myself.”
Now halfway through the two-year MBK ambassador program, Okoye said he wants young men in his hometown to see different paths to success.
“Don’t be afraid to stand out and get involved in different ways,” Okoye said. “Actions always speak louder than words.”
Okoye credited his parents, Jonathan and Vanessa, and his church community for shaping his values. He also pointed to SUNY Cortland’s Educational Opportunity Program Summer Institute for helping him build strong habits and find support on campus.
Assistant EOP Director Kharmen Wingard praised Okoye’s impact.
“Ikenna’s the real deal,” said Wingard. “It doesn’t matter what he’s doing — he could be in the classroom, the gym or in a school community — he’s always trying to lift up those around him. It’s extraordinary but not at all surprising that he earned the praise of President Obama, one of our generation’s most respected voices.”
Okoye said meeting Obama felt surreal, but it also reinforced his drive to serve.
“It just felt like great things are coming.”
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