Nosaiba Lela grew up in the Rochester Hills area, exercising her passion for literature and reading throughout her academic journey. While she felt unsure of what area of study to pursue in her freshman year, she quickly realized pursuing English would allow her to incorporate her hobbies into a full-fledged career.
In her sophomore year, Lela joined the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, which changed her life.
“It has made me a better person, a better friend, and I have met some of the most incredible people through that job,” Lela said. “It’s given me connections that I never could have imagined, and opportunities I never could have imagined.”
One of these connections was her boss Drew Huff, the assistant director of campus visits at OU. Huff was the one who introduced and drove Lela to apply for the Keeper of the Dream Scholarship.
“He reached out to me and was like, ‘Hey, I think that you’d be really good for this, if you need a letter of recommendation, I’m here for you.’” Lela said. “He has probably been one of my biggest champions and supporters, and I’m so grateful to him.”
Through her work at the Undergraduate Admissions Office, Lela has been doing her best to help students of all backgrounds find their place in OU.
“I talk to so many who would run small businesses even in high school, who say things like, ‘I don’t even think I’m gonna graduate high school,’” Lela said. “Even if they don’t end up going to college, I didn’t want their time here to be filled with that kind of energy. I wanted them to be able to look around and, and see a place for themselves here.”
Lela and her team make an extra effort to help guide students, promoting a mission of equity instead of just equality.
“There’s something called equity that we need to familiarize ourselves with because every group is going to have something that different that they need,” Lela said. We have to use different approaches, especially with these kids whose parents didn’t go to college, so college isn’t even on their radar. How do I make it seem more accessible? How do I make them feel like they’re seeing they’re heard and they’re understood? Those kids are my driving force for the work I do in admissions.”
While her parents have been a huge inspiration and support for Lela, her support group on campus is just as strong.
“I have some really close friends as well as my supervisors,” Lela said. “They have been immensely supportive and have never turned away my ideas or my complaints. All my friends in admissions, because I really do consider everyone there as friends, have been my inspiration, my support and my motivation.”
With her time as an undergraduate coming to a close, Lela is thinking about attending grad school, with a special focus on studying publishing and editing. While she dreams of being able to incorporate travel into her work through speaking, attending conferences and networking, Lela is flexible and open to the opportunities this next chapter in her life leads her to.
