Virginia Beach Campus’s First International Student Shining Bright

Mayowa Afolabi’s story as Centura College’s first international student began in the country of Nigeria. She had just finished her National Diploma in Mass Communication at The Polytechnic Ibadan, preparing to continue her education towards a Higher National Diploma. Her father told her he wanted a better future for her and for her to experience life in another country. To Mayowa’s surprise, she was enrolled in Centura College and was facing life on the other side of the globe on her own.

Mayowa’s journey began in April 2016, and she has never looked back. She stated her biggest fear, next to flying to America on an airplane, was speaking in front of a group of people. With the help of her instructors, who coached her through presentations and weekly speeches, she quickly overcame her fear of public speaking.  Mayowa credits her instructors for who she is now and states, “No matter the situation in which I find myself, I always stand up to face the challenges.”

As a student, Mayowa was very involved with the Student Government Association and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), serving as secretary for both organizations. On many occasions, she was the “voice” telling others about the organizations and encouraging her fellow students to participate.

Mayowa graduated summa cum laude in June 2017 with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Business with a Concentration in Management and is currently employed with Centura College. Mayowa states, “No matter where you find yourself, if you have the focus, if you work hard and if you put God first, you are going to make it in life.”