Gabriel Soje
Lagos State, Nigeria
Graduate student
Administration and Supervision
After he became deaf at the age of 13, Gabriel Soje attended Kwara State Schools for The Handicapped, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. He studied under the tutelage of a Gallaudet alumnus who was then the head of the institution, which is known for its academic excellence and for producing future deaf leaders.
An unquenchable thirst for knowledge drove Soje to The University of Ibadan, Nigeria for his bachelor's degree program in English and special education. With this stage of his education completed, he undertook the compulsory Youth Service Program for Nigerian youth and finished with an award for outstanding performance and meritorious service. It was an achievement worth remembering, considering that he was the only deaf participant of the program. Soon after, he was back at his alma mater working on a master's degree. He took time to serve as the Faculty of Education's financial secretary in the student body organization, the deputy editor-in-chief of the student magazine, and his class' chief representative on the faculty-student council.
Soje's zeal to make the public aware of deaf people's capabilities led him to take the position of vice chairman of a deaf sports organization, leading an awareness campaign of deaf people through announcements on various Nigerian television programs. This TV campaign helped change the negative perceptions of Nigerian people towards deaf people and others with disabilities.
Haven taught deaf students and worked with children and adolescents with autism, Soje set his sights on another goal-attending Gallaudet. He was fortunate enough to bag a Ford Foundation International Scholarship to begin his Ph.D. in administration and supervision. According to him, "Being in Gallaudet, I have finally achieved my life-long dream so far, and I have been enjoying my studies. The excellent atmosphere is worth experiencing by other academically ambitious and leadership inclined hearing, hard of hearing, and deaf persons."
Soje is a fanatic soccer and basketball fan. He is very passionate about Bison basketball, male and female, and wears a long face anytime the teams lose. He believes in hard work, being his brother's keeper, and engaging in charitable endeavors.
