Hometown: Merrillville, Indiana
Major: Biology
George Ibekie stands out in a crowd.
Well over six feet tall with a bald head and slight Nigerian accent, he is becoming well known on the Bloomington campus — and on the East Coast. As one of only 294 interns selected from 16,000 applicants to work at the New York offices of global investment banking and securities giant Goldman Sachs, George worked long hours — but it was all worth it.
"I learned a lot at Goldman Sachs: how the market operates, corporate culture, how to dress. But my first week in New York City was a big shock. I'm not usually a person who gets intimidated, but I was. There were kids there from Harvard and Yale! The biggest thing I gained from that experience was self-confidence. A lot of people think you need a business major to get an internship in investment banking, but the companies just want smart people," says George.
He's got that covered. A biology major with a 3.7 GPA, George is a member of the Hutton Honors College as well as a McNair Scholar and a Hudson/Holland Scholar. He credits much of his success to IU's Groups Student Support Services program, which helps first-generation college students excel at IU. "Groups really helped me find my spot at IU. Without it, my freshman year would have flown by and I would have been lost!"
Instead, he's found his niche at IU. Between studying for classes, doing karaoke at student hangouts, and working out at the Student Recreational Sports Center ("I gotta keep in shape!"), George is active in the Black Student Union, and he tutors biology to Groups students.
His advice to prospective students is pretty simple. "You have to first understand what you want out of college. If you want a lot of diversity with a laid-back feeling, then IU's whole campus experience will be awesome. You should be willing to be adventurous and broad-minded to get the best a school can offer you too.""
Oh, and one more thing.
"All of my professors know my first name," says George, "I'm too tall to squeeze into other seats, so I have to sit in the front row of all my classes. It's a great way to get to know your professors," jokes George.
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