ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT!
Oge Opaigbeogu
Class of 2014
Oge Opaigbeogu attended From the Heart Christian School (“FTHCS”), from K3 until 12th grade, where she graduated as a member of the Class of 2014. While at FTHCS, she spent summers working as a summer camp counselor and volunteered with both the Helps and Nursery ministries. After graduating high school, she attended the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) on a full tuition scholarship where she earned a bachelor’s of science in neuroscience. While at Pitt, she worked as a student ambassador tour guide as well as a resident assistant. She also served as a mentor for minority students as well as a volunteer at the Children’s hospital of Pittsburgh.
Immediately after graduating from college, she worked as a medical assistant as well as an elementary, middle, and high school tutor while applying for medical school. She began medical school at Albany Medical College in 2019. While at Albany Medical College she served as president of her medical school class. She also continued tutoring and volunteering with organizations that sought to aid underserved populations. While in medical school, she was involved with the school’s chapter of the Christian Medical Dental Association and frequently hosted brunches and praise nights for both Christian and non-Christian students.
In May of 2023, she graduated with a Doctor of Medicine with a distinction in advocacy. She just recently finished her first year of residency training in June of 2024. She is currently completing a three-year dermatology residency program in New Orleans at Tulane University to become a board-certified dermatologist. After residency training, she hopes to return to the Northeast and practice as a board-certified dermatologist specializing in diseases most seen in Black and African-American patients as well as hair disorders.
Her journey to becoming a doctor has been one fraught with challenges, delayed reward, and questioning. She is grateful that God has guided her through this journey and used it to draw her closer to Him. She hopes that her experiences are motivation to others and that she is able to show God’s faithfulness to all those with whom she comes in contact.
Thomas Mitchell
Class of 2007
Thomas Mitchell is a seasoned Digital Marketer with over ten years of expertise in developing and implementing successful digital marketing strategies. A graduate of the class of2007 at From the Heart Christian School, Thomas went on to attend Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Global Campus, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. Thomas Mitchell is a seasoned Digital Marketer with over ten years of expertise in developing and implementing successful digital marketing strategies. At present, Thomas operates a digital marketing agency, Mitchell Strategies, leading pivotal projects that have notably increased engagement and lead generation. With a long career of driving brand visibility at Population Services International and guiding significant campaigns as a Digital Communications Consultant, Thomas’s leadership fosters teams towards exceptional performance. His cofounding venture at SnkTrd illuminated his entrepreneurial acumen, further solidifying his reputation as a digital marketing maven with a forward-thinking approach. On a personal note, Thomas has been happily married to Dana Mitchell for five years and is the proud father of their daughter Gia. His ministry involvement includes YAPP, the Men’s Fellowship Leadership team, and Membership Care. He has also served on the Board of the None Suffer Lack Federal Credit Union for the past 4 years.
Major Highlights
Senior of the Year Finalist: Each year, the University of Pittsburgh chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, recognizes one recently graduated or graduating senior from the university for meritorious leadership and extracurricular activities, that exemplifies the type of student who the University aspires to produce, and who inspires others to strive for similar conspicuous attainments. The award recipient’s name is engraved on a stone in the ODK Leadership Walk between the Cathedral of Learning and the Heinz Memorial Chapel. In my last undergraduate year, I was named as a finalist for the award. The link below leads to a biography put together about my time at Pitt and highlights some of my involvement in the Pitt community through my final year.
https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/news/senior-of-the-year-finalist-jahari-mercer/
The Pitt News 2017 Silhouettes Feature: Each year, The Pitt News, which is the University’s student newspaper, selects members of the Pitt community to highlight in their yearly edition of the Pitt News Silhouettes. Individuals highlighted can include members of the University and/or members of the community surrounding campus. In 2017, I had the opportunity to be highlighted in the Pitt News Silhouettes and was able to talk about my experience and involvement at Pitt from my first and second years of my undergraduate program.
https://pittnews.com/article/126932/silhouettes-2017/jahari-mercer/
SGB Executive Vice President Election Article: During elections for the University Student Government Board (SGB), the person who receives the most votes among those students who run for board becomes the Executive Vice President of SGB, serving as the president in the event of the president’s absence. Because I received the most votes among students who ran for the board at the time, I served as the Executive Vice President of SGB for the 2018-2019 school year. If you scroll down slightly past the video in the article below, you will see my name mentioned along with the other elected members of the board. I am also quoted in this article, expressing my excitement over the results.
https://peachwort66.rssing.com/chan-60749106/all_p55.html
Engineering Ambassador: From the summer of 2019 through the summer of 2020, I worked as an engineering ambassador for the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. Engineering ambassadors help in the recruitment of prospective students to attend the Swanson School of Engineering by giving tours of Benedum Hall, which houses the school of engineering, and sharing their experiences with prospective students and their families. The link below is my archived profile from the school of engineering’s website.
https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/first-year/ambassadors/archived-profiles/jahari-mercer/
Why Pitt? By Jahari Mercer: The following video was one of the last things I did as an engineering ambassador. A few engineering ambassadors and I were asked to record a presentation explaining why we decided to come to Pitt, why we chose our respective engineering major, and to talk about our experiences at Pitt as well. This presentation also gives a recap of my time at Pitt and my plans after graduation as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsnSlOt5Uv4
Activities & Highlights since FTHCS
2015-2016 School Year (First-Year Undergraduate)
- Began studying at the University of Pittsburgh on a full-tuition scholarship along with a scholarship from the Swanson School of Engineering and the University of Pittsburgh Chesapeake and Potomac Pitt Alumni Chapter.
- Was actively involved in the Pitt Excel program which is a program dedicated to the recruitment, retention, development, and graduation of underrepresented minority students within the Swanson School of Engineering along with being involved in the University of Pittsburgh chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.
2016-2017 School Year (Sophomore Year Undergraduate)
- Served as a student representative on the University of Pittsburgh Year of Diversity Steering Committee. The goal of the Year of Diversity was for the Pitt community to respect, value, and appreciate diversity in all areas. The committee was comprised of students, faculty, and staff from across the University.
- Served as the Vice President of Community Outreach for the University of Pittsburgh Resident Student Association (RSA). RSA serves as a representative body within the university to identify and make known the needs of students living in university residence halls.
2017-2018 School Year (Junior Year Undergraduate)
- Worked as a manufacturing co-op engineer for Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company in York, PA as a part of the Swanson School of Engineering’s Cooperative Education program.
- Served as the Corporate Liaison Chair for the University of Pittsburgh chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). The mission of NSBE is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
2018-2019 School Year (Senior Year Undergraduate)
- Served as the Executive Vice President for the University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board (SGB). The purpose of SGB is to promote the concerns, interests, needs, and welfare of the student body through creative programming, supporting student organizations, and facilitating conversations between the student body and the university community.
- Served as a member of the leadership team for Pitt Excel’s B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. which stands for Brothers Respecting Open Thought Helping Every-man Realize His Own Original Dream. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. is dedicated to supporting individuals who identify as men within the Pitt Excel program on a personal, professional, and academic level.
2019-2020 School Year (Super Senior Undergraduate)
- Studied abroad during the summer of 2019 as a part of the Engineering Sustainability – Island Nations: Jamaica program. This program was a 2-week cultural immersion, based in Kingston, Jamaica, to understand the complex and unique approach to sustainability in island nations.
- Made the Swanson School of Engineering Dean’s List for the Fall 2019 semester. The distinction of Dean’s List within the School of Engineering is awarded to students who receive a 3.25 or higher semester GPA during their time in undergraduate school.
- Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in the spring of 2020 and was named a finalist for the 2020 ODK Senior of the Year award.
2020-2021 School Year (First Year Graduate School)
- Began my first year at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a Master of Business Administration on a full-tuition scholarship funded by the University of Pittsburgh and the National Black MBA Association.
- Served as one of the Vice Presidents for the Katz Operations Club. The Katz Operations club plans and facilitates programs geared towards students concentrating in the field of operations.
2021-2022 School Year (Second Year Graduate School)
- Completed an 8-month internship with PPG Industries as a Supply Chain MBA intern within the Architectural Coatings Logistics & Distribution capabilities team.
- Currently serving as the Vice President of the Katz Student Executive Board (SEB). The Katz SEB acts as the primary representative of Full-Time Master’s students to the Katz faculty and administration and plans creative programs to enhance the experience of everyone in the Katz community.
