- Student; On Campus
Nigerian Paulson Edum was one of three students from his country recruited to play soccer for SNHU, yet the only one to be granted a visa. He had never been to the U.S., and his first months on campus were a culture shock to say the least. He arrived as a sophomore and was just 18.
"The biggest challenges for me were people understanding my accent and adjusting to the food. My mom had a restaurant at home in Nigeria and I always enjoyed good food," said Paulson. "The soccer team was my family when I arrived here. My first year was tough because I was struggling with my new position on the field, and in Nigeria the soccer was more stylish and slower, here it was much more physical. By the second year I was back on track, thanks to the help of [SNHU] soccer coach Marc Hubbard."
Paulson credits his student experience at SNHU to a strong campus community and the support he received through the school's international services program. He graduated in May 2010 with a B.A. in Environment, Ethics, & Public Policy with a minor in political science.
"At first, my studies were very hard. But thankfully I had a very strong relationship with my adviser, Dr. Paul Barresi and English professor Dr. Diane Polley," he said. "Paul gave advice and suggested switching my major to the new environment, ethics and policy courses and I found something that I loved, that I was really interested in."
Paulson is working on his M.B.A. at SNHU with a focus on sustainability and environmental compliance.
"I feel so lucky; I have many options, brought to me by attending SNHU," said Paulson. "I am an athlete, and my number one goal is to play soccer professionally. Another goal is to work in the United Nations as a diplomat, especially in energy and sustainability. I know that I can achieve anything I put my mind to."
