Maria Anifowose

Now that Maria Anifowose has graduated from the University of North Georgia (UNG), she will continue her education so she can guide young people to greater opportunities in her native Nigeria.

In May 2022, she earned a degree in communications with a concentration in organizational leadership. Anifowose received a student visa, which helped her to come study at UNG beginning in 2018. 

Anifowose's plans include a Master of Science in education, which she believes will give her the skills to teach English to Nigerians.

"English is the official language of Nigeria, but there isn't a high level of literacy, so a lot of people tend to speak broken English," Anifowose said.

To resolve communication issues, Anifowose said she hopes to teach Nigerians how to speak well.

"You need to be well-trained in English to be successful," she said. "It's one thing to know English, but it's another to be able to convey your thoughts in it. That's the gap I want to fill."

Her inspiration came from an early childhood experience during which a lady trained the young Anifowose in public speaking. That training eventually gave her a way to study abroad, landing at UNG.

"If this skill set can help me to succeed in life and open doors, I want to give others the same opportunity I've been given," the International Student Association member said.

Anifowose said she plans to use her democratic leadership style in helping Nigerians because it includes everyone.

"I want to be flexible and open, learning from my students while they learn from me," she said.

For Anifowose, connecting with the students will help her meet their needs and ultimately be most effective.

"It's not about me having my plan but having a consensus plan, so we can achieve our goals together, and being flexible in the journey," she said. "Act and adjust every step of the way."

The soft-spoken Anifowase was a tour guide leader at UNG from 2018-2021 and served as a tour guide manager for the last two of those years. As the tour guide manager, she served as the first point of contact for tour guides, making sure the tour schedule stayed organized and assisting the Admissions coordinator.