Esther began to build her college prospect list in the spring of 2020. Like many high school juniors at the time, her college discovery process was coming into focus just as COVID shook the foundation of what to expect for college and so much more. Until then, Esther, a native northern Californian, hadn’t considered venturing out of state for college. Her entire family lived in California and being close was important to her. However, having gone to Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) for the majority of her life, Esther broadened her search as the increased media coverage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) encouraged her to look beyond her home state of CA. In particular, Beyonce’s Homecoming highlighted for Esther the rich culture and community at HBCUs. She reflects, “It truly opened my eyes to the diversity of a college experience at an HBCU.”
How did you choose your Major?
Esther knew she wanted to study business and wanted to go to an HBCU so when she found out that Howard had one of the top business schools, it all came together. Indeed the program has been appropriately challenging, but Esther felt well-prepared. She has enjoyed learning about every aspect of business from organizational behavior to accounting. Howard’s business majors are grouped in small cohorts as freshmen, and her cohort/team has been central to her college experience. From group projects to a close knit friend group, Esther credits her major and the program’s small feel for creating a meaningful college experience, providing leadership opportunities and serving as a launching pad for summer internships. Now a junior, Esther serves on an executive board that manages the freshman Team Leaders and the overall team program. With companies coming to campus to interview for summer internship opportunities, Esther will be returning to EY-Parthenon for a second year internship this summer. Last year she joined a team working on a merger and she is looking forward to taking on even more responsibility on her new assignment this summer.
What do you think most prepared you for college?
Esther was surprised by how much group work there was in college, at least for business majors. She says, “the amount of group work at Athenian really prepared me for college, especially that first year where we worked so closely with our teams of 15-20.” Esther felt she was more prepared than some of her classmates to collaborate, divide up work, and help hold herself and others accountable for their parts of a project. In general, Esther feels her ability to stay organized and manage her time (a skill she gained being very active at Athenian), helped make her adjustment to college much easier than it was for some.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Having hesitated at first to leave California, Esther says, “don’t be afraid of big changes. Even if it is not what you thought you’d do, be open. Being at Howard and in Washington DC has brought so many cool things into my life that I’ve embraced and I continue to grow through the new.” Esther also recommends finding your people and community through common interests. She has joined the Howard University Community Choir, found a local Church, and created a community of friends that have become family.
