Going away to college and starting anew is undoubtedly an overwhelming time for most college freshmen. Getting involved seems to be the most commonly given piece of advice, yet it can be hard to digest with so many new things on your plate. As freshmen become sophomores, work load gets heavier and the chunk of space once set aside for joining student organizations and becoming a part of the community slowly (or very quickly) seems to diminish. Ali Ojikutu, a junior at the University of Iowa, has been involved in over 10 student organizations and extracurricular activities, manages to hold a very respective grade point average, as well as have a little fun.
Upon coming to Iowa, Ali was unsure of what to expect. A month into her freshman year Ali volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, as well as joining CAB and STAT and worked at the front desk of Rienow Residence Hall. “I just kind of threw myself in there, I didn’t realize at the time that joining student orgs would help me the way they did.” Ali continued to join groups as she tackled her way into Tippie College of Business with a major in Finance and Business Analytics. With her given major, joining Women in Business was a great way to grow professionally and meet a lot of great people along the way. She also joined Business Student Ambassadors, a student organization that focuses on facilitating various events for prospective business students.
What motivated Ali to become involved was, wanting to give back to the University, “I felt that Iowa had helped me grow so much and I was really proud of my choice to go here, I wanted to help people make that choice and feel the same way I do.” Being a leader for OnIowa! and executive of Hawkeye Hometown visit program for STAR (Students to Assist Recruitment) Ali achieved her goal. As an On Iowa leader she would help with incoming freshman’s transition with college. Through these programs she served as a support system for students at Iowa and those making their decision on where to attend. Ali also gave back to the University by becoming a tutor for Introduction to Sociology. ” It was just a class I really liked, the teacher was amazing and when I found the opportunity to tutor for it I knew I couldn’t pass it up.”
Even though Ali is kept very busy with numerous organizations leaving time for herself is also very important to her. In her free time Ali likes to hang out with friends, hit up Iowa City’s bar scene and watch shows like Scandal and Law and order. Her plans for the future are to get a job working for an insurance company, and hopefully someday be able to give back to the University of Iowa like so many other alumni do.