Maame Dodi '09

Major: Economics
Country you grew up in: Ghana
Nationality:  Ghanaian
Parent Occupations: Father - Entrepreneur/Managing director, Mother - Nurse
High school: Holy Child Secondary School
Current Occupation: Financial Analyst (Enrolling in business school in August) 

Out of thousands of schools in the U.S., why Calvin?
I have to admit: When I first got accepted to Calvin College, I turned down the offer and instead enrolled in another liberal arts college. It took me a year and half to realize that Calvin was the right fit for me and I eventually transferred to Calvin during my sophomore year. I chose Calvin for several reasons: it had a curriculum that unashamedly applied Christian values to all academic disciplines; it had a challenging curriculum, but balanced this with several extra-curricular activities so I received the well rounded education I was looking for. Lastly, I chose Calvin because of the diversity of its students. This diversity allowed learning to continue even outside of the classrooms! The cultural learning experience was simply amazing.

What was your best class or best professor you had?
My 'International Politics' class with Professor Westra. The coursework was so relevant and the classes were so engaging! I liked this class so much I once showed up an hour early and was rather perplexed when I saw another student sitting in my regular seat. It took me a few minutes to realize I was in the wrong session, and then I gracefully exited the class! That said, it's definitely a class I would recommend if you're at all interested in politics or international relations.

What was your most memorable experience at Calvin?
Rangeela 2008! This was by far the highlight of my time at Calvin (besides graduation, I guess). It was such a beautiful cultural display and I was extremely impressed that it had all been organized by students like myself. Everything from the colors, to the music, and the costumes had been carefully thought out, and they all blended in to create an atmosphere that is hard to describe in words. Everyone on that stage exuded such pride in their respective cultures and the performances had the audience cheering all night long. That for me, was cultural exchange at its very best.

What's your advice to students who are thinking about applying to Calvin?
You've heard it a million times, but take it from someone who had to learn the hard way and eventually transfer to Calvin: 'Calvin is a great school!' You will not regret coming here. But my advice to you is this: Do your research and understand the kind of education that Calvin wants to offer. It's one that doesn't separate the Scripture from vocation and which will challenge you to think outside of the box till you forget that there was ever a box! Ask yourself if this is the kind of education you want, and then answer that question honestly.

How did Calvin College prepare you for your career of choice?
My company thrives on teamwork, and I had no trouble fitting into its corporate culture. This is in large part due to the many team projects and presentations I was involved in at Calvin. These projects challenged me to work with people who sometimes had different views and perspectives from me. I learned to respect their views and as a team, we would strive to see how our views could complement each other so our presentation/end product was more dynamic. I still go through this process each day at work!

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