Nigerian Student Finds Fulfillment in Volunteering

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2016) — A University of Kentucky senior from Nigeria, Aisha Nwandu has found a lot of joy and fulfillment in her involvement with numerous service groups on campus and around Lexington.

Passionate about social justice issues, Nwandu has spent her time at UK balancing various service positions with Fusion, Alpha Phi Omega, Campus Kitchen and the Kentucky Refugee Ministries, in addition to the rigorous course loads and demands of any UK student.

Currently an intern at the UK Office of Philanthropy, she also works at the UK Center for Community Outreach (CCO) as a director of the Wildcats for Service (WFS) program.

As the director for WFS, Nwandu manages and maintains various programs and budgets for events that take place throughout the year. A big part of her role is overseeing the responsibilities and duties of four executive team members and five coordinators.

Nwandu said that one thing she’s realized coming from Nigeria to the United States and working at the CCO is the universality of social problems.  

“I think of all the problems we have back home, and then all the ones we have here. I can see now that every population has its own unique struggles,” Nwandu said. “And it’s never too late to become a conscious citizen.”

Nwandu first got involved with the CCO during her sophomore year when she was seeking out opportunities for involvement and saw an advertisement for executives of the Wildcats for Service program. The most challenging part of being a student leader, Nwandu said, “is learning to become a leader in the true sense of the word and not just a boss.”

“I try to listen to all the people on my team and incorporate all of their ideas,” Nwandu said. “There are no wrong answers and no stupid questions.”

As an international student, Nwandu believes that the task of getting involved can be doubly challenging.

“It’s like, you’re juggling all the cultural adjustments you’re facing and at the same time trying to find something you’re interested in,” Nwandu said. “I just say, take it one step at a time, ease into it. Go to one event you can relate to, and then another and climb up the ladder from there.”

Nwandu plans to return to Nigeria someday. With her experience at the UK Center for Community Outreach, she said she knows that she is able to make a difference when she returns home.

“I’ve learned a lot about dedication and service at UK,” she added. “I don’t have to sit around and wait for another person to do it. I can do it myself.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: Gail Hairston, 859-257-3302, gail.hairston@uky.edu