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Graduates

Here are some words from recent graduates about their experience at Concordia and what they are up to now:

Ingvild Gundersen '12 - Skien, Norway

How did Concordia influence your life?

Concordia influenced me in so many ways. It challenged me academically. I learned how to work under pressure and that hard work really pays off. I know that I am capable of achieving my goals as long as I work hard for it. I have grown as a person and taken on leadership positions that have been challenging, but also extremely fun! Through my position on the ISO board I realized how much I really wanted to work with people from different cultures and this is one of the reasons why I decided to go to grad school. But what influenced me the most are the people that I met and the friendships that were made.

What did you like about Concordia?

I like that the school is small. It's easy to meet people, and the people at Concordia are open and for the most part easy to talk to. I really liked the feeling of being part of a community and I really didn't mind the "Concordia bubble."
I like how you can just walk around campus and you will always find people you can talk to.

I also like how the classes are kept a decent size, not too big so that it is easier for everyone to get a chance to raise their opinion. This is also good for class discussions. When the classes are small it makes it easier to get to know the professor and for the professor to know you. This makes it easier to talk to them if you need to.

What activities, relationships, events, or classes influenced you most during your time here?

ISO took up a lot of my time, and just hanging around international students from all over the world really opened my eyes. I learned a lot from these people, and I hope that they learned something from me as well. ISO board, with good help from other students, worked hard to put together ISO Festival. It was stressful but also fun and exciting to put this event together and it was a huge success! ISO Festival is probably one of my best memories from Concordia.

Since my major was communication I enjoyed most of the communication classes. I especially enjoyed Intercultural Communication. Part of the class was to get into groups and each group was assigned a refugee family through Lutheran Social Services. My family was from Somali and my group and I went to see them every week. We had to help the kids with their homework and teach the parents English. I got along with the family so well and I kept seeing them after the semester was over. This class encouraged me to apply for an internship with Lutheran Social Services, and is one of the reasons why I decided to apply for grad school and study intercultural relations.

What are you currently doing or what have you done since graduating from Concordia?

I am currently trying to become this organized person that I always wanted to be. As I'm packing up my life in Moorhead and moving home to Norway for the summer, I am also preparing for grad school in the fall. I will be moving to Boston and attend Lesley University in Cambridge MA. I will be studying Intercultural Relations, and I am super excited to start school and move to a bigger city!

Peace Eneh '11 - Nigeria

How did Concordia influence your life?

Before coming to Concordia, I had dreams of achieving great things and changing lives but I had no skills to create the change I wanted to see. But through the many opportunities at Concordia such as the LeadNow leadership training program, I now have the skills to influence the world. Concordia has equipped me to become a global citizen and with these tools, I now have a renewed confidence in my ability to achieve my dreams of creating change in Africa especially in the healthcare sector.

What did you like about Concordia?

There is something for everyone to be involved in. Concordia has many amazing student groups so that everyone can find at least one to become part of. They are great places to meet and make friends with people that share similar passion.

Also, the professors at Concordia challenge you to become the best that you can be. They are very understanding and will work with you to achieve your goals.

What activities, relationships, events, or classes influenced you most during your time here?

I was involved with LeadNow, a leadership training program that helps you realize your potentials as a leader. LeadNow also offers one the opportunity to develop those leadership skills both on and off campus. In addition to leading some student groups on campus, I also took some off-campus trips where I had the opportunity to apply my leadership skills  to real life situations. One of the trips I lead was a Justice Journey to Jamaica. I learned so much about myself during this trip. It also opened my eyes to many social issues that we still face in our societies.

I was also involved with the international student organization. This greatly influenced me because I had the opportunity to meet students from all over the world, people with different traditions, cultures and ideas. I learned many new and exciting things but I also discovered that we shared many things as well. Our international festivals were my favorite because I got to experience different cultures and food. I also made lifelong friendships with many incredible international students.  

What are you currently doing or what have you done since graduating from Concordia?

Currently, I work as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital where I help coordinate clinical trials. I enjoy my work and being in Boston. I will also be applying to medical school this summer because I want a career in medicine.

I also recently co-founded an organization called New Afrique with fellow  Concordia alumni and student. Since we have been sent forth to influence the affairs of the world, we are working on projects that will empower Africans to become self sufficient. We are hoping to lunch some projects this summer that will help to reform the education, economic and health systems in Africa.