Akua Nkrumah
Name: Akua Nkrumah
Age: 24
Hometown: Washington, DC and West Africa
Major: Environmental Science & Technology
Academic Year: Junior, second semester at Maryland
I chose to attend the University of Maryland and a major in the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources because of my upbringing. I spent my adolescence in West Africa, where a lot of the economy is agriculture-based. I wanted to do something that combined agriculture and technology so I could pursue a career that would be beneficial to developing countries.
At the moment, I'm doing an independent study on renewable energy based on a model that's being constructed to be applied in west and central Africa. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something in school that relates directly to what I want to do career-wise. I'm focusing on oil palm, which is a plant local to west and central Africa.
In addition to my research experience, one of the things that has made my time in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources enjoyable is the support I've gotten from faculty and staff. I transferred to the University of Maryland, so I was glad to find an advisor who is really helpful to me. Other advisors I've had at other schools weren't as thorough or genuinely concerned as she is.
Favorite Class: ENST305 - Alternative Energy. It's what I intend to pursue as a career, and I like the class a lot. We're getting an in-depth look at all kinds of alternative energy, and we know what's out there and what's being done worldwide, in the U.S., and in Maryland. The first project we did was very engaging: We picked a house in Africa to revamp to be able to rely completely on solar energy. The class is informative without being too overbearing.
Advice for prospective students and parents: The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has a lot to offer. It has a very wide range of majors to choose from, so if you know you want to be involved with something agriculture-based or natural resource-based, it's a good place to explore. Maryland is doing great research in these areas, and the opportunities here are things you can't get at other universities. It's a great place to be-the opportunities are endless. Because of the way the college is structured, you'll get a lot of individual attention, and the quality of the education is very high.
ShareThisLast updated: 02/15/2011