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Student of the Month

November Student of the Month: Ellen Waynawhere

By November 10, 2023December 5th, 2023No Comments

What is your background?: I was born in Liberia, West Africa, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I graduated from Jefferson High School, I have five siblings, and I am the middle child.

What brought you to Kirkwood and why?: I chose Kirkwood because of the affordable tuition and because it is closer to home. I am glad I chose Kirkwood because the staff at Kirkwood have taught me real-life lessons and helped me prepare to thrive anywhere.

What is your program of study, and what interests you about it?: I study Criminal Justice because, as someone from an African country where the law is not respected in the long run, I plan to go back to Liberia and open a firm and possibly an affordable law school that provides the correct education for people who are interested in Law.

Tell us about your study abroad experience in South Africa. What was great about it?: I loved the trip, learned lots of new things, and made lots of new friends whom I still talk to to this day. I did a trip about Agriculture, which has nothing to do with my major, but one of my main goals was to train myself to be more open-minded and not shy away from things I have limited knowledge of but try to learn and adapt.

Are you involved in anything on campus?: I am the student founder and current President of the Kirkwood Black Student Union. I am also involved with TRIO; as a peer mentor, I help plan events and introduce students to TRIO.

What do you do for fun?: I am a boring person; I only attain stuff if invited because that is the way I was raised, but I love reading. I also love watching historical/political podcasts on YouTube during my free time, like Candance Owens, Jordan Peterson, etc. I am also into photography, so I take pictures of nature, friends, and family in my free time.

Where do you see yourself in five years?: This is a tricky question because I cannot even tell you where I see myself in a year because life happens. However, I see myself already with a bachelor’s degree and entering law school to continue my studies in hopes of becoming a prosecutor.