UNH Today

Elizabeth Adeeko is three months away from graduation, but she already has two part-time jobs closely related to her major. When she’s not studying for her classes in biomedical science at the University of New Hampshire in Durham or working as a student tutor, Adeeko logs hours at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover in patient registration and as an LNA.

“I’d like to stay there or work in another hospital, or work in research,” said Adeeko about her plans after graduation. “Then I may apply to medical school in the next year.”

Adeeko transferred to UNH after taking some time off from another four-year college in Pittsburgh, Penn., to reassess her career goals. During the transition, she lived at home in Londonderry and paid down some of the student debt she had accrued. She also enrolled in classes at UNH Manchester and later became a full-time student on the Durham campus.

When she registered for spring semester, Adeeko found she was taking more classes in Manchester than on the Durham campus. She moved out of her apartment in Dover and again moved home to Londonderry.

“The commute was easier, and I didn't have to pay rent,” Adeeko said.

She also found that the small class sizes and close-knit campus in Manchester appealing.

“I personally prefer UNH Manchester classes. I think the professors at both schools are amazing, but the size of the classes is the big difference for me,” she said. “Being in upper level classes at UNH Manchester, you’re more able to have a better relationship with your professor. I feel like we can talk about my career plans.”

Adeeko said she’s also gotten to know her fellow students on the Manchester campus better because of the smaller class sizes, and appreciates there is more diversity – both in age and in ethnicity – at UNH Manchester.

“If you are interested in taking classes in general, anybody who is any age is welcome,” said Adeeko. “It’s also really diverse. I see many people of color here. It’s a really nice thing to see there is diversity.”

Adeeko credits her positive experience both in Durham and in Manchester to her advisor, Mary Katherine Lockwood, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences. Not only has Lockwood provided Adeeko with excellent guidance through her student career, she’s also referred Adeeko to her current tutoring job, wrote a recommendation for her position at Wentworth Douglas Hospital and encouraged her to seek a medical research internship last year at the UNH Health Services Office of Health Education and Promotion studying trends in risky student behavior.

Not every student takes the traditional path of enrolling in college straight out of high school and finishing in the allotted four years. Adeeko is a good example of that. She went from another school, to part-time at UNH Manchester, to full-time at the Durham campus, and then back to Manchester for most of her classes her senior year.

She entered the University of New Hampshire System unsure about her career path. Now Adeeko has dreams of becoming a doctor. For the high school students out there who are also unsure about what they want to do, but want to begin college-level classes, Adeeko said they should consider starting at UNH Manchester, like she and others she knows have done.

“It’s a great place to get to know a professor or an advisor who can help you develop who you are as a person and who you’ll be when you begin your career,” Adeeko said.