While searching for a job during her freshman year, Shaila Diaz Furment, a now sophomore political science major from Yonkers, New York, was having a conversation with her friend about the menu of Halal Shack on a February afternoon. A manager overheard the conversation, was impressed by how well she knew the menu and then offered her a job.
She knew that arriving on campus would mean finding a job, but she wanted to stay close to campus since she was concerned about safety in the surrounding neighborhoods. The position required her to manage a schedule around classes, which was a structure she hadn’t had to keep up with before.
“It was a blessing,” Diaz Furment said of the experience. “I learned a lot about discipline.”
Like Diaz Furment, Oluwadamilola Akinpelu, a senior sociology major, also found something unexpected during her freshman year on campus.
She entered her first year with nerves and uncertainty about reaching out to others and being a part of new spaces. However, she knew for sure that she wanted to join a dance team and joining the College Hall South Stroll team became a way to do that.
“I came in with my walls up,” Akinpelu said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Being on the team led Akinpelu to close friendships with her teammates and led to connections that later led her to become a resident assistant in the same building where they all lived. She and her student coach also grew close, traveling together as close friends, outside of their work with the team.
Her advice was simple: to get out of your room, apply for new opportunities and get involved while you still have time.
Danae Tyus, a now junior international business major from Belleville, Illinois, had a vision for what her sophomore year of college would look like.
She imagined herself to be more active on campus, including potentially running for the School of Business council. Studying abroad had been a longtime goal, inspired from her mothers own study abroad experiences in South Korea. When the two plans conflicted with each other, she chose Spain.
After adjusting to life in Spain, Tyus realized that the experience gave her more than just the chance to immerse herself in another culture. At Howard, she said there is an emphasis on preparing for the future, something she described as “planning ten steps ahead.” Spain allowed her to be present and appreciate the moments around her.
“Definitely taking in the moment and challenging myself to truly experience life in all of its glory,” was the best part Tyus said.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.