A sociology class changed the trajectory of Nikki Yeboah’s life.
She knew as a teen mom that getting a college degree—the first in her family—would enable her to set an example for her daughter. It wasn’t until that class at community college that she realized how much a strong education would mean for her future, too. Her ability to affect lives could stretch beyond her home address.
“Life will happen, and that's fine, but your education is going to be what's important, what's going to give you the keys to success,” Yeboah said.
Yeboah first found The University of Baltimore through its B.A. in Human Services Administration program.
“I love the fact that it integrated not just like counseling skills, but the whole gamut of human services,” she said. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and it was kind of unique, because I wanted to be able to counsel and practice professionally, but I also wanted to be able to incorporate case management, for example.”
Yeboah came to love a lot more than the program.
For one, finding a job was easy as a UBalt student—employers were familiar with its reputation as a University for working adults. She was able to get a job where she not only could apply what she was learning but was as flexible as her course schedule.
“I really love the opportunity for both day and night classes so I can work and still attend. It's not really that difficult to balance.”
Yeboah’s even found time to get involved on campus. Yeboah served as president for the Women of Color Student Association. She also worked as a wellness coordinator with UBalt’s Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion.
She built a community inside and outside of the classroom that gave her the rounded collegiate experience she didn’t expect but loved.
“I felt less like an older adult,” Yeboah said. “I felt more accepted than being on the traditional college campus, where everyone just seemed to have graduated from high school and went straight into college. The diversity in the smaller university was what really made me stay.”
