NEWS

Shalom Olugbodi, a Junior at Davidson College studying pre-med, is spending her summer interning at a local nonprofit, Access to Success. This is an exciting international connection through the Davidson Fellows program as both Shalom and A2S share Nigerian roots.

Shalom was born in the UK and raised in Nigeria. Growing up in Nigeria, Shalom witnessed the prevalence of poverty in her surroundings, despite the fact that she grew up in a middle-class family. She moved to the United States in 2016 at the age of 11 and has since made the transition to life in America.

Shalom Olugbodi, A2S summer intern

During her university search, Shalom wanted to find an institution with a strong pre-medicine program. She discovered Davidson and quickly fell in love with our small college town. Shalom is a Bonner Scholar. Through the Bonner Scholarship Program, she made a connection with the Davidson Fellows, an eight-week program that allows its students the opportunity to support nonprofits through capacity-building projects.

While conducting her search through the Fellows Program for the nonprofit to intern with for the summer, she decided that Access to Success (A2S) was where she wanted to be. A2S’s work aligns with her interests, so “it was an easy decision to choose A2S.” What stood out to Shalom was the “work that A2S does in the Nigerian community and how A2S offers help in different areas.” She shared that there is no doubt that “A2S listens to its community to meet their needs through holistic programming in an environment that lacks the privilege of having options and choices.”

Shalom is excited to learn about A2S’s strategic projects, which include a future building in Nigeria. The new building will serve as a hub for A2S’s career development and athletic programs, expanding their reach in a way that more holistically addresses the needs of their youth. A building that enriches the community in this way does not yet exist. “I am interested to see the impact it will have on the people it serves,” Shalom shared.

With her Nigerian background, Shalom is looking forward to working closely with A2S Missions Program Coordinator, Uchechi Ufochukwu, who leads the U.S. Scholars program. Shalom appreciates how A2S bridges gaps in the community in ways that allow people to choose their individual career paths.

One motivation that drives the approach to life that Shalom brings to A2S is her “drive to make the world a better place for all.” She is motivated by the fact that every child should have access to the resources that they need to develop their full potential.