When I arrived at Kilachand Hall to begin my freshmen year, I was lost. I graduated from a high school with about 70 seniors and had arrived at a university with over 30,000 students. After several days of unpacking and beginning classes, I still felt unsettled. Then one morning I heard some familiar beats out on Nickerson Field that reminded me of home. Lo and behold, I had stumbled upon the African Students Association (ASO) table at SPLASH. ASO quickly became my new home. Afrithms, ASO’s dance team, was my creative outlet; it gave me the opportunity to confidently express myself and share my rich culture. ASO also connected me with mentors that have supported me every step of the way.
Through ASO, I spent a lot of time at the African Studies Center (ASC) and had access to the abundance of resources that the center provides. Now as an ASC Office Assistant, I work to ensure that students continue to benefit from all of the opportunities and resources. Any student can enroll in one of the ten African languages offered at the Center and study abroad in Africa using their language. As a student born in Ibadan, Nigeria, it is great to witness the interest others have in my Motherland. It has really been a privilege to connect people with ways to learn about and experience the different countries and people in Africa.
Moving forward, I hope to always find new ways to connect to my heritage and share it with others. I will be graduating from the Questrom School of Business this May, and my goal after graduation is to enter into a role where I can continue to discover myself and connect people with better opportunities and business solutions. I recently saw a post that said “happiness is created not found” and I have adopted it as my mantra. It may take some time to find exactly where I want to be, but regardless, it is important to find outlets in which I can pursue my passions and simply create happiness.
- Victoria Olakojo, Questrom ‘17