Whether it鈥檚 through on-campus organizations, in her local community, or on a state-wide level, Marie-Clare Ofoegbu 鈥�22 never stops advocating for the world around her.
As an out-of-state student, Marie-Clare wanted to attend a university where she felt at home and could be heavily involved on campus. 鈥淪ince Stevenson is a smaller school, I have been able to meet new people and talk to higher administration within the university who have recommended me for various opportunities,” Marie-Clare says, one of which led to her position on the Maryland Youth Advisory Council under Governor Larry Hogan, where she serves as SU’s Representative for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).
During her first two years at Stevenson, she served as a class representative for the , working with a council made up of her peers. 鈥淚 have always wanted to learn more about the stories people have to tell and advocate for those who do not have a seat at the table,” Marie-Clare says. Now, she represents much of Stevenson鈥檚 campus community as a member of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion鈥檚 Student Advisory Board, a Resident Assistant, and Student Ambassador for Admissions. Along with two other students, Marie-Clare helped develop and present a student-led Inclusivity Plan, using her voice to set forth calls-to-action for the betterment of the community. 鈥淎fter the social unrest that occurred this past summer, Stevenson learned and listened to its students when it came to ways our university can be more inclusive for all students.”
Off campus, Marie-Clare is a fellow for the Baltimore Collegetown Fellowship, which sets out to foster civic-minded leaders who invest their talents and skills in the Baltimore Community. Additionally, as MHEC鈥檚 Stevenson Student Representative, she promotes the student perspective and offer suggestions to the Commission on how to best address the concerns of Maryland higher education students. This year, Marie-Clare offered insight on how the pandemic has affected Stevenson students: 鈥淚 provided suggestions on how to eliminate the digital divide present in a world where technology is a necessity,” she says.
When she鈥檚 not lending her voice to Stevenson鈥檚 community or Maryland at large, she鈥檚 working as a Political Affairs Intern for the Borgen Project, which advocates, mobilizes, and educates people to help secure support for global poverty-reduction on the legislative level. 鈥淪tevenson has offered me a multitude of opportunities to tap into the things I love.”
Marie-Clare enjoys the flexibility of the Communication Studies program in giving her multiple avenues to explore what she鈥檚 interested in. 鈥淐ommunication is the foundation of all human interaction whether that be verbal or nonverbal. We must understand communication鈥檚 importance in order to better understand the people and world around us.” With a minor in Management, she hopes to one day be the manager of a non-profit organization while pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree.
鈥淣o person or voice is too small to move mountains,” Marie-Clare says.
