Follow Your Heart: Nweke's Family Bond That Led To Princeton

"Follow your heart."

That's what Chet Nweke's older brothers told her as she was winding down her recruiting process and ready to make a school decision.

Nweke was down to three Ivy League schools. It made sense to ask for her brothers' opinions on this matter.

Why?

Well, they go to Ivy League schools.

Her brother, Ike, plays basketball at Columbia while her other brother, Odera, runs track at Yale.

"We're a very competitive group of kids so even when we were growing up, everything was a competition," stated the freshman.

Nweke's parents instilled in the group at a young age to get the best out of their education and how important it was to keep their grades up. The competition part in each kid would just enhance their motivation.

When her oldest brother, Ike, would go to workouts and practices with his teammates, Chet would join him.

"I think it was just me wanting to be better than him at basketball," said Nweke, laughing. "It was good competition because it helped me become the player and the person I am today."

At the end of her sophomore year, Nweke narrowed her list of potential teams. It included squads from the ACC, Big Ten and Ivy League.

"I knew I'd get the best basketball and academic experience at Princeton, but once I visited the campus, this is what I wanted," mentioned Nweke.

After Nweke's list was down to three, she sat the family at the dinner table and to make a pros and cons list for each school to see if they aligned with her list.

They aligned in Princeton's way. Nweke was really interested in what her family though because she needed them on board with her decision.

What was the No. 1 pro for Princeton?

"I met with the team and I really could see myself fitting in there and that wasn't something I got from other two schools," mentioned Nweke.

Nweke was thrilled with her decision but was thrown for a whim after it was announced that Courtney Banghart was leaving to take the head coaching position at North Carolina.

"I got a call from Coach Berube (after she was hired) and had a good talk," said Nweke. "She told me she was really invested in me. I really clicked with her after the call, so I was pretty positive that Princeton was still where I wanted to be."

Fast forward to now.

"It was really nice not being home and getting that college feel and experience."

Kind of.

Virtual learning.

No basketball.

Nothing on campus.

Nweke lived in an apartment around Princeton with Kaitlyn Chen. Julia Cunningham, Maggie Connolly, and Ellie Mitchell lived in the apartment directly above them.

Some days would begin Spanish at 9 a.m. In between that class and the next one, she'd do her lift. When her classes ended, the basketball component would come into play as she did her skill work in the gym in her apartment complex.

"It was weird because everything was based on my schedule and not the team's schedule," stated Nweke. "I haven't had the full experience of being a student-athlete at Princeton yet, but this has helped me prioritize my workouts and manage my schedule better."

Nweke and Chen had a lot of similar classes, so they worked together.

A lot of the classes were recorded so it was good for Nweke to be able to go back and see stuff she may have missed.

"It was hard at first to get into a rhythm of things because I wasn't used to having things online, stated Nweke. "But now, when we go back, it's going to be a completely different experience. Now, everything is on my laptop, so it's easier."

When asked about the idea about coming back to campus in the spring, Nweke was keen on the idea of meeting new people and building the relationships that was hard to do during the first semester.

In the meantime, Nweke will have to settle for the back and forth with her brother, Ike.

"I roast my brother a lot saying my school is better than yours," stated Nweke. "Check the rankings."

Meanwhile, there's one more Nweke sibling who has to make a college decision.

Chet's sister, Toby, is a sophomore.

Is there any understanding that she also has to go to an Ivy school?

"Everyone always asks that, but I don't want her to get caught up in that," said Nweke. "I want her to work on her craft and choose the school that's best for her."

Follow your heart.

Choose the one best for you.

Two simple pieces of advice from the Nweke family that helped produce three Ivy Leaguers.

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