M.A. in Philanthropic Studies - Alumna
Why did you choose graduate school at IUPUI?
The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is the first and the best school of philanthropy in the world. It offered what I wanted as a nonprofit professional who returned to school for additional knowledge, and of course, the scholarship offer was irresistible.
What has been your favorite academic accomplishment since you’ve been here?
I have a lot of favorite accomplishments at IUPUI. Primarily, as an international student from Nigeria, being able to settle quickly into the new learning environment and consistently maintained a minimum of 3.6/4.0 GPA throughout the graduate school is one. I also won the Graduate and Professional Educational Grants (G-PEG), a research/travel grant in 2016 and the 2017 Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Alumni Association Scholarship. I have just been accepted as a lifetime member of the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society and recently named one of the ‘Elite 50’ and ‘Premier 10’ out of 8,100 graduate and professional students on IUPUI campus for leadership and engagement. For me, it is truly a humbling feeling to have made it thus far as an international student, mom to a 4-year old, employee and socially responsible in my community.
What do you enjoy most about life in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis is awesome for the family. Being the crossroads of the United States, it is easy to navigate through other midwestern states. I have taken trips to states like Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan at different intervals. I also love the fact that Indianapolis has something for everyone. I spent the last nine months working from Downtown-Indy and has visited several interesting places. From the museums to the zoo, shopping malls, canal, and cool restaurants (thanks to my Lumina folks). The list is endless, everyone should explore Indianapolis!
Please provide some details about your work/research as a graduate student and/or any activities you are involved in.
As a graduate student at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, it is expected that students gain hands-on professional experience while studying to help connect classroom theories to professional practice. In my first year, I worked remotely with the American Red Cross-National Headquarters in Washington DC, where I assisted the Foundation and Partnerships team to develop foundation-specific resources for 350 relationship managers. In my second year, I moved to Lumina Foundation for Education, downtown-Indianapolis and worked on a variety of assignments that will improve post-secondary attainment in America. I specifically supported the Director of the office of the president and organizational development and the Strategic Impact team. I was also fortunate to work as a summer research assistant for the 2016 Coutts Million Dollar Donor Report. Finally, I represented the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at the Graduate and Professional Student Government, featured on InspireIUPUI and supported the hosting of the Mandela-Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI) on IUPUI campus among other engagements.