Before coming to the College of Arts and Science (CAS), B. Eni Owoeye knew she wanted to major in International Relations in a city like New York. At the time, she lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where she appreciated being close to Washington, DC. She knew going to school in another major city would allow her to experience the international politics scene and take advantage of its many professional and networking opportunities.
Combining Interests Through a Double Major
However, during her first conversation with her CAS adviser, Eni, now a senior, thought hard about which of her high school classes left her wanting to know more. And she couldn’t stop thinking about AP Environmental Science. Eventually, she discovered a double major in Environmental Studies was the right fit for her. “Once I realized I wanted to focus on global environmental issues, I started to really appreciate the structure of NYU’s Department of Environmental Studies,” she explains. “It allowed me to merge my interests in human rights and migration with themes of environmental justice, food systems, and other areas of interests.”
This intermixing of interests is a hallmark of the CAS experience, and each individual student encounters it as a microcosm of the University, which brings together undergraduates with an enormous variety of interests. This is one of Eni’s favorite parts of being at NYU. “I enjoy the fact that CAS invites so many other students from across different disciplines to take more interdisciplinary courses, such as Texts and Ideas or Cultures and Contexts,” she says. “I’ve been lucky enough to have great relationships emerge from these classes.”
Building Community, Building a Future
Here, Eni has found herself surrounded by a community that is intellectually, demographically, and experientially diverse. Students come to NYU from all different backgrounds and share their experiences and ideas. “My experiences exploring other people’s religious and spiritual backgrounds have been transformative for me,” Eni says. “As a person of faith, I deeply appreciate how many interfaith dialogues occur on campus and around NYU. I can connect with my peers on a deeper level as well as support them in ways I was previously ignorant to.”
In addition to her coursework, Eni has participated in multiple community service, outreach, and social justice projects, all of which have informed her experience with politics and her view of the world. Now she’s setting herself up with a strong foundation to enter the public sector and hopes to participate in an international fellowship for foreign diplomacy after graduation.
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