F&M Stories

As they prepare for their May 11 Commencement ceremony, Franklin & Marshall seniors look back at their four years on campus—and what's next.

Name: Oluwatoniloba "Toni" Abiru

Major: Business, Organizations and Society

Minor: French and Francophone Studies

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Current Activities at F&M: International Admissions Assistant. Member of the international Student Advisory Board.

What has been your most memorable moment or time here at F&M?

It's hard to pick just one time or moment. I think that some of my most memorable times here at F&M have been spent working for the Admissions Office. Not only are my bosses, Pat Ressler and Mary Burgess, wonderful human beings, but I think the responsibilities involved with this job really taught me valuable professional and social skills. In my opinion, it's been a lot of fun interacting with international students from all over the world. They want to come to F&M, and I've enjoyed learning about their stories and sharing mine as well. Furthermore, I've realized that this job has been a way for me to help other people with any fears they may have in terms of applying to F&M.

What did you enjoy most about your time at the College?

For me, the best part about my college experience has been the people I've met, whether it's the students or the faculty or the people I work with. Within the student body, through clubs, social events and classes, I've been able to meet and form relationships with people from different backgrounds. They each have different stories and different goals in life. These interactions have helped me increase my knowledge of the world, but they also helped me become more assured with my own background, story and life goals. With the faculty, especially in Business, Organizations, and Society, I've been able to learn so much about different aspects of the course. I've created relationships with these people and I've enjoyed the fact that they have been willing to share their knowledge with me both inside and outside the classroom. Lastly, my work-study experience has been amazing for the past four years. It's one of the best jobs I've ever had. I'm going to miss Pat, Mary and the feeling of just being in the office and doing meaningful work.

What advice would you give to rising seniors?

This year showed me the importance of time management because as a senior, you want to finish college well and be on the path to your postgraduate goals. But you also want to cherish your last year as an undergraduate, and you may also want to spend time with your friends and clubs. I personally believe it is possible to do all these things and more and be happy as a senior, but in order to do that, time management is very important. To know how to prioritize and allocate your time well is a very helpful skill to have and use in your senior year.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I want to work and get professional experience so that I can apply all the academic knowledge that I've learned here at F&M. I'm unsure right now about where I'll end up working, but my options are open and I'm looking forward to finding a situation that's right for me.