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Growing up in Alimosho – a town outside the capital of Lagos State in Nigeria – Joseph Akobundu would walk around town, and see the “amazing diversity” of his country at work. As a hub for technology and entertainment in Africa, Lagos attracted young entrepreneurs from across the continent, which led to a boom in Alimosho and other cities in Lagos. where he could see the flock of young businessmen looking for economic opportunities.
That economic opportunity also led Akobundu to Fayetteville to attend the University of Arkansas, in search of an education that would help him achieve his dreams of becoming a businessman.
“Besides the U of A philosophy of putting students first, I chose to come here because it feels like home,” he said of his decision to join the U of A. “The weather, the people, the faculty, the beauty of the diverse campus. and the city of Fayetteville which is consistently ranked as one of the top five places in the country to live, all helped make it easier to the choice among five schools offered me a full ride.”
Since he was at university, Akobundu has earned a master’s degree in higher education and is now setting his sights on another graduate degree – this time in operations management.
“I am very happy with the opportunity to have the quality of education as a first generation, and I appreciate all the opportunities that I have now,” he said. this. “I believe that today’s future can be shaped by good education, and since I enjoy working with young adults, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in higher education to better understand the strength and complexity of the higher education system in America, which serves as a basis for understanding other systems around the world and helps students navigate the college process. I hope to use everything I will learn in operations management to improve processes, procedures, and lead times in a manufacturing company and help this company improve quality assurance.”
After his graduation, Akobundu plans to join a technology or manufacturing company to use his skills in operations and operations management, supply chain, process improvement and quality engineering to help optimize the company’s operations. And his long-term goal is to start a nonprofit that helps first-generation students get into college and provides guidance for them through their college experience.
Overall, Akobundu hopes to help others gain the same international experience as he did.
“The international study has increased my understanding of the whole world, given me meaningful international connections with people from all over the world and given me a perspective on the ways of social interaction,” he said. “I like being exposed to a new way of learning that has helped me to further develop my professional and intellectual skills.
