College wasn't on the immediate radar for Nokukhanya "Noks" Lucy Shabalala '16.
Her priority—along with her older siblings—was working to put food on the table and helping to provide an education for the younger siblings in her large family in South Africa.
高中毕业后, she began working as a residential director at a mission boarding school started by German Lutherans. She hadn't thought about her next career move until she met Dr. 谢丽尔·威廉姆斯, CUI Professor of Communication and Business during Williams' visit to the school in 2012.
Shabalala给我留下了深刻印象, Williams pledged to return to Concordia and look into scholarship opportunities so Shabalala could study at CUI.
"For me, really, it was a total God-orchestrated opportunity,沙巴拉拉说.
Six months later, Shabalala was on a plane to America. With funding from an organization in South Africa and a tuition scholarship from Concordia, Shabalala began her first year on campus studying theology.
Coming from a stricter educational culture, Shabalala encountered a bit of a culture shock during her first semester, especially the first time she saw a student express differing views from their professor.
To me, communication gave me another psychological aspect of things,她说. “这是在解决问题, 解决冲突, 与人坐下来, being a liaison between two people and trying to figure out a common ground.
"In the end, I realized that education is a reciprocal thing,她说. “你去上课. You don't just take what they give you. You take it, you process it and you ask questions."
Shabalala在CUI安顿下来, Associate Professor of Theology Glenn Fluegge encouraged her to consider pursuing a secular major that she could use upon her return home. Shabalala咨询了Williams, who pointed out that Shabalala was good with people and a good communicator. 这引起了Shabalala的思考. At the time, she was taking a communications class that piqued her interest.
"I was really intrigued with communications, the study of people and how people communicate,她说, adding that she decided to pursue communication studies as a major because she wanted to work with people.
事实证明，这个决定至关重要, strengthening her relationships with local and international students in her campus jobs, as a residential assistant in the Global Village living learning community, 后来, 在中国当老师.
"To me, communication gave me another psychological aspect of things,她说. “这是在解决问题, 解决冲突, 与人坐下来, being a liaison between two people and trying to figure out a common ground. 学习了这些东西之后 ... really helped me a lot in my college career."
Communication was also an important aspect of her role as president of CUI's Global Citizens Club. With a healthy membership of international and local students, the group's reach grew with events that encouraged members to share cuisine, pictures and stories from their native countries. The club also gave local students an opportunity to introduce local fare like pizza and In 'n Out to their international friends as well as American traditions like pumpkin carving, 感恩节和圣诞节.
"This was an opportunity for us to get a taste of Spain, 非洲风情, a taste of all the global countries that were represented at our school,沙巴拉拉说. “结果很好. It opened up so many doors, so many opportunities for friendship."
After immersing herself in her communication classes and the campus culture, Shabalala找到了第二个家.
When you are at Concordia, you are not just a face,沙巴拉拉说. "I had professors who dedicated their time for me ... 帮助我成为最好的作家, 帮助我构建我的思想, and even inspiring me to look at grad school ... 他们激励我热爱教育.
Her love of education continued after she graduated from CUI in May 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communication studies and a minor in theology. 在她导师的帮助下, 英语教授Adam Lee, Shabalala secured a teaching post at a public middle school in Shenzhen, 中国。. 在那里, 她教德语和英语, often drawing on the knowledge she gained from her CUI communication classes.
“因为这样的背景, the communication background that I came with, (I was) able to go to my colleagues and even my students and say, there's an issue and it needs to be addressed and we address the issue right there and then and then we move forward with no baggage,她说.
Shabalala completed her first academic year as a teacher on June 23 and is embarking on a new journey to acquire her master's degree in Spiritual Care at Concordia Seminary in St. 路易. 在那之后, she would like to work with former child soldiers and victims of civil war in Central Africa.
"I feel like I'm bringing all this global knowledge that will strengthen my people, 我的社区,沙巴拉拉说. “这是一份了不起的礼物."