Student Combines A Culture With A Community At Towson

From Towson University:

February 22, 2020

Coming from Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, Md., Victoria Morafa found
her community with the school’s African Student Association.

Through her high school’s organization, Morafa felt she found her niche that fit the
traditions her parent taught her, as both her parents were born in Nigeria.

So when she came to Towson University, she was looking to find the same type of community.
That’s why she joined TU’s African Diaspora Club, which celebrates and positively portrays diverse cultures in Africa through academics, community and networking.

After joining in her freshman year, she’s been part of the ADC for four years now.
With graduation right around the corner, she couldn’t picture her college career without
her community.

“The ADC is a place that you can come to find community, friends and family,” Morafa
says. “And although we are called the African Diaspora Club, anybody of any dissent
can join. You can learn more about the African culture, as well as portray your cultures,
so we can find a happy medium between the two.

“It’s a safe space to be who you are.”

It was the organization’s Kam Moja program that drew her attention. It's a mentoring
program for freshmen, where they get paired with an upperclassman mentor who guides
them through their first year at TU.

Not only was she a mentee, but her sophomore and junior year saw her serve as a mentor
and as a member of the ADC’s board. Now in her senior year, she is now serving as
ADC President.

“My experience in ADC has been remarkable and will be something that I will never
forget,” Morafa says. “And just the people that you impact when you’re in a position
of leadership goes a long way.

“There's someone always counting on you to do the right thing or lead them in the
right direction. So, it's really rewarding at the end of the day. Even though it can
be stressful at times, I feel like in the long run, the reward is worthwhile.”

Along with being a member of the ADC, Morafa has found other ways to get involved
on campus. She was a member of the SAGE student success program during her freshman year. She is a member of the Alpha Psi Business Fraternity and
she also worked with the English Learning Conversation Partner program.

It was all these experiences that helped her have an “amazing experience” during her
time at Towson University.

“My experiences at TU is what I made it,” Morafa says. “I feel like the organizations
that I joined, the clubs and groups are what made my experience good. Had I just stayed
in my room, I probably wouldn’t have had the experience that I’ve had.”

Morafa is currently on track to graduate this May with a degree in health education and promotion, with a track in community health.

While she’s learned a significant amount of happens in health care regarding policy
and procedure, Morafa realized she wanted to do something more hands-on. Earlier this
year she got certified as a nursing assistant, and after graduation she plans to go
back to school with a goal of becoming a pediatric nurse.

Her goal to be a pediatric nurse has influenced her throughout her time in TU. Not
only is she focusing on a health education and promotion degree at TU, as well as
becoming a nursing assistant, she’s also working as a teacher’s assistant at the Goddard
School in Towson.

With all these well-rounded experiences, she feels prepared to work with the health
of children.

“I feel like the experiences, although they don't tie hand in hand directly, they
ultimately tie towards my end goal,” Morafa says. “TU and my major have helped me
a lot. I was discouraged in the beginning because it wasn't as hands-on as I wanted
it to be. But really — there's hands-on work, but before you get to the hands-on work,
you have to know the background work.”

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.