Nkechi Springs:Recognition of an Impactful Life

Nkechi Springs, a Maryland school musical owner —Hit Me with Music— real estate investor and philanthropist, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the Great Commission Theological Seminary while back home in Nigeria, the Abiagovernment through the First Lady Mrs. Priscilla Otti, gave her an award of excellence for her humanitarian activities through the Erinma Oke Foundation. As she prepares for her fourth Annual Christmas Foundation to mark the birth of her school, NDUKA NWOSUwrites about her impactful life of service

When Nkechi Springs left her country, Nigeria, she arrived in the United States the next day, January 21, 1995, immersed in a brutal winter experience. There was nothing pleasant about it. She often contemplated returning home to Nigeria. One of her missing ‘items’ was her dear mother, who, to date, she is very fond of.

“I was living a beautiful life in Nigeria. I wasn’t intrigued. I actually wanted to go back to Nigeria several times. I wasn’t excited like most people are when they come here. I missed my family, especially my mom,” she recalls. “I stopped Facebook after my mom passed. A lot of things stopped for me after that. God has been good with the pain.”

Beyond mother’s passage, Springs impacts her audience positively as a visionary who wants to leave behind a legacy for humanity and coming from a dynasty whose women were and remain Amazons walking on the sands of great achievements with their men. Interestingly, she is not wearing her impactful life like a pair of a workman’s overalls as she has time to attend to other vexatious issues of existence.

For the records, she is proud of her children because they have made her proud, evidence of how her American dream is something to talk about, “Ike will be 29 next month, Nnenna 24 and Ugo is 22. Ike was in the United States Air Force College (Intelligence) and served eight years. Nnenna studied Entrepreneurship with a minor in Media Marketing and Digital Fashion,” she says. “Nnenna works with Hollywood films under the wardrobe. Ugo graduated from Towson University and studied Psychology with Medicine Advisory. So, she is going to medical school in spring.”

Looking back, Springs can say staying back has paid off in every respect. Today, Springs is very much a part of the moving spirit in the educational upbringing of the young people of Maryland and where she lives.

Did she prepare herself for this assignment in the general scheme of things? Her response is in the affirmative.

“I was at Alvan Ikoku College of Education first, then Abia State University and Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD. andstudied Education all through,” she adds.

These exposures partly qualified her for her after-school music programme—Hit Me With Music—for young and talented minds in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Sometime in September, the school had an open house musical programme with a complement-an art exhibition of the works of celebrity artist Dermont, including a painting on the wall of Chief Erinma Oke, who the daughter hinted was standing shoulder high with other musical greats. That means someday we shall be privileged to view and listen to the oeuvre of a musical legend on vinyl or a modern musical platform, among other talents of hers. It also gives us a glimpse of where the offspring, with her equally talented gifts, is coming from.

The programme provides children with enriching and transformative musical experiences, regardless of their background or financial situation. She observes that a dedicated team of passionate and talented individuals at Hit Me with Music Foundation is the organisation’s heartbeat. Each member brings a unique blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and shared love for music, working tirelessly to create impactful programmes and initiatives.

As the Fourth Annual Christmas Foundation approaches, Springshas so much to crow about. She was recently awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the Great Commission Seminary College, an experience she titled ‘Grateful and Honored: A Recognition of God’s Grace’. In reaching out to her audience, she summarised the experience, which she penned as an immense honour in recognition of service in God’s vine yard.

She added, “I had the immense honour of receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Christian Humane Letters from the Great Commission Theological Seminary, an accredited institution dedicated to equipping individuals for impactful service in God’s kingdom. This moment was not just a recognition but a reminder of the greater call to live out God’s love in everything we do.

“For those wondering, Christian Humane Letters celebrates the study and application of moral and spiritual values in service to humanity. It’s about embodying the teachings of Christ—showing kindness, humility, and unwavering love for others. This recognition brought Galatians 6:9 to my heart: ‘Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’.”

Springs also mentions that it is easy to feel discouraged in a world where good deeds are often criticised or overlooked. But let this serve as a reminder: our ultimate reward is in heaven. However, she points out that God sees every act of love, compassion, and service, whether recognised by people or not.

“While I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition on Earth, I know it is God’s grace that sustains every good work. Let’s continue to press forward, doing good wherever we are planted,” Springs explains. “Together, we can sow seeds of hope, love, and faith in a world that needs it so much. Stay encouraged, friends; your labour in love is never in vain.”

A distinguished Certified Home Healthcare Consultant with over 20 years of industry exposure, Springs owns several healthcare-related businesses, including Atlas Home Consulting, Atlas Care Connect, Atlas Leesville, AtIas Home Healthcare Solutions, and NOW Behavioral Health, providing care for elderly patients and children in the state of Maryland and Arizona.

Renowned for her strategic consulting skills, she has launched over 500 healthcare businesses in the DMV Metro Area, offering operations, compliance, and business development expertise.

With a bachelor’s degree in education, Springs is also a successful Real Estate investor. In her mission statement in setting up the children’s musical academy, Springs says it is to foster the holistic development of Baltimore City kids through music education and creative expression.

“We believe every child deserves the opportunity to discover his or her artistic potential and cultivate a lifelong love for music by providing access to high-quality music education,” says Springs. “We aim to inspire confidence, discipline, personal growth, student creativity and community engagement.”

She notes that the mission is complemented by a vision that seeks to continue to grow our after-school music education programmefor Baltimore kids and positively impact their lives. Through our music education programmes, kids will learn music, valuable life skills, and other life-impacting values.

Back home, Springs has been etching an image of a fighter for what is best for society, especially the elderly, the less privileged and the downtrodden. Only recently did the Abia government honour her with pride. In a letter signed by the First Lady. Priscilla Otti. Early in the year, the Erimma Oke Foundation, founded by Springs, collaborated with the Abia LGA in the establishment of an ICT Centre. The whole episode from the state and local governments was one moment she again waxed lyrical about this mother from Israel.

“My mom was a force! I do not even know how to describe her. It all started with my grandma, Ugo, who was tall and very pretty. They called her Oguzo Oka! She was very tall and had a presence. She did not have a male child but turned my mom into a man,” Springs states. “My mom was a building contractor. I got into real estate from what I learned from her. I named my last child Ugo she reminds me of my grandma.”

As the years unfold, the hope is that Springs will receive greater recognition globally and back home for her impactful life on humanity, doing good and asking for nothing in return like her grandmother Ugo and her mother Chief Erinma Oke, whose evergreen memories define her life and the values dominating her mindset.