It took time for Inam Oki to find her way to The 极乐禁地. She first had to find a college in a location she liked and with a program she wanted. Then she had to overcome time-consuming processing issues common for international students.
But when she finally got to her first day of classes, she knew it had been worth it. And now, on the brink of her final year in the MBA program, the feeling still rings true.
鈥淚 will promote UBalt to anybody, anytime, any day,鈥� she said. 鈥� 鈥淚t's a really good school. I like the way they teach, and the inclusiveness, for me, is top notch.鈥�
Inam had spent some time weighing options for where she would pursue a master鈥檚 degree. She had completed her undergraduate degree in 2017 in international law and diplomacy, and was ready for something different, somewhere different.
Her father went to college in Chicago, so her eye was directed to the United States. But she had already visited that city, plus Minnesota, Virginia and New York. When a friend suggested Maryland, the idea stuck.
Inam started researching her options online and UBalt was a top result. She started her application at 11:30 p.m. Nigerian time.
Inam was initially looking at a cybersecurity program, but hit a snag when she couldn鈥檛 get her certificate of eligibility issued for that particular master鈥檚 degree. Determined, Inam attended an Office of Admission event and found help from Michelle Walters-Johnson, whom Inam still occasionally visits on campus.
That鈥檚 when Inam learned that the master鈥檚 program hadn鈥檛 yet been approved for international students, causing the issue, but there were other options, like an MBA with a cybersecurity specialization.
鈥淪o, I switched, which honestly, was a great blessing to me,鈥� Inam said. 鈥淵ears ago, I remember an uncle of mine trying to get me to get an MBA and I said no. I was like, it is not for me, I don't think I can do it, and I ran away from it. So, when this opportunity came back, I was like, God, I see what you're doing.鈥�
Finding Her Passion
It turned out to be even more fortuitous. Once Inam started classes, she realized her heart wasn鈥檛 really into cybersecurity at all. She easily switched specializations to focus instead on leadership and management development, and has been loving her courses ever since.
鈥淚'm not just in school for the sake of like getting another degree, but I'm actually enjoying what I'm studying right now,鈥� Inam said. 鈥� 鈥淭here's a slogan at UBalt: Knowledge That Works. Classes are not just paper, pen and textbook. They're also teaching you based on what is happening in the marketplace.鈥�
Working as a graduate assistant in the business school鈥檚 advising center has also given Inam a chance to put to practice what she鈥檚 learning in class, while also soaking in more lessons from observing the advisers there.
鈥淏eing able to interact with other students has opened me up to the possibilities that I have here. Everything that I'm learning in class, I get to actually apply it in my daily life at work as well,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause most of my classes are managing people, leading with integrity, all of those things, they are very much applicable here. So, I look at it as I'm not just learning something where I'm like, OK, I'm putting it in the archives, when I finally got a job then I will start to apply these things.鈥�
It's not lost on Inam that other students, particularly international ones, don鈥檛 have that opportunity in college.
鈥淚 honestly see it as such a privilege that I get to learn and apply it at the same time,鈥� she said. 鈥� 鈥淚 am constantly in a phase of learning every day and it's absolutely amazing.鈥�
She鈥檚 learned a lot of the opportunities and resources she鈥檚 found at UBalt aren鈥檛 shared by friends that chose other institutions. From the personal emails from Michelle Walters-Johnson that encouraged her through the admission process, to conversations with her career coach, La-Toya Gomez, and adviser, Matt Mazick, that helped her find and navigate her specialization options, Inam has found help wherever she has sought it.
She鈥檚 likely to pay it forward in her future career.
While Inam prefers to keep her options open until she graduates鈥攕he wants to let every lesson and experience she has until then to matter鈥攕he is considering a career in human resources or consulting. Mostly, she said, she wants to advocate for others.
鈥淚 want to do something where I cause a change,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don't just want to fit into what everybody's doing鈥�'Oh, everybody's working in corporate,鈥� or whatever鈥攂ut I want to be able to make an impact that lasts even after I鈥檓 gone.鈥�