Kevin Bannerman Hutchful

What advice do you have for students who want to increase their cultural competency?

Try to learn about different people and enculturate yourself. Since moving here from Ghana, I have tried to expose myself to people of different cultures and backgrounds. I joined different student orgs and was open to learning about other people from different walks of life. You will learn about other dimensions of life and open your eyes to a much broader world.

What advice can you give to students who are transitioning from high school to college?

Try and meet new people and make new friends. Some people you meet freshman year will be your friends throughout your entire college experience. Find people with similar interests and discover the opportunities campus has to offer. It’s amazing how many resources this campus has for students. Get involved!! Its way more fun when you are involved on campus.

What has been your best college experience?

Being involved in so many different organizations has exposed me to a lot of great college experiences. Meeting students by going to conferences and sporting events has been awesome.

What was the most memorable part of your CAE/Great Lakes summer internship?

The INROADS Chicago Learning Summit was definitely the best experience. I didn’t know much about INROADS, but the conference exposed me to the vast networks and connections that it offers. I saw how heavily they invest in students, and I had the chance meet and network with other young professionals in the Great Lakes program.

What have you learned the most from this summer internship?

I’ve learned how to work independently and be responsible in a professional setting. I had freedom to plan my own schedule and establish deadlines; I had to keep myself accountable in order to get the job done, and take initiative on talking to the staff in order to plan interviews and presentations.