Beaver Reflections:
I graduated from Beaver in 2018. Two of my siblings also attended Beaver and we all started in the 6th grade. While at Beaver I worked very closely with the Hiatt Center, played volleyball, and helped lead the Del Sol club, a multicultural club, throughout high school. All through my years at Beaver, I was always very interested in social justice work and helped with affinity groups and students of color conferences. Beaver will always have a special place in my heart, and this past year I had the chance to go back and work with the Hiatt Center again. Looking back, I had so many amazing teachers. I loved my 6th grade advisor, Mr. Greenberg, who not only was a great advisor but also a wonderful teacher who helped develop my writing skills early on. Another teacher I really enjoyed was Ms. González. I remember that her first year at Beaver was also my first year so it was nice getting adjusted together. She has always helped me so much with not only school work but also topics outside the classroom.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After graduating from Beaver, I went to Stanford University and am an anthropology major with a concentration in medical anthropology and a minor in human biology. I am very involved on campus and have been co-presidents of some clubs and am also a part of the African Student Association and Black Student Union. Apart from that, I have also traveled with my school and did a couple of projects abroad in Australia and the Galapagos. Last summer I was supposed to be in Thailand for my internship. However, due to Covid I did the remote internship where we worked on community empowerment projects and chronic disease control within smaller communities in Thailand. I worked with the Thai Health Fund. Currently, before I go back to school, I am conducting research on cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine with a grassroots organization called Global Oncology, based in Nigeria. I am excited I get to help do this work because I am interested in it and my family is also from Nigeria. Along with that, I am also continuing my school work. I am looking at graduate school and pursuing a master’s in public health.

“This past year it was critical to be able to hold myself accountable and take breaks when necessary from schoolwork and from hours of staring at my computer. It is so important in not only college but in life to understand when your social battery needs to be recharged and when it is time to prioritize yourself.”
– Joddy Nwankwo ‘18

Advice to Beaver students:
I have always stood by the quote quality over quantity. And at Beaver that is still true, especially with friends. I believe that finding a quality group of close friends that raise you up and don’t bring you down is so helpful in general. Also, try to get the most out Beaver. This does not only mean academically but also expands to building meaningful connections with teachers where later in life you can come back to them and they will still be there to support you.