Transfer Student Success Stories

OLADIPUPO "LADI" OGUNNUBI ‘09
Electrical Engineering

While Clarkson University has a strong reputation among other schools as an outstanding engineering school, former Bronx Community College student Ladi Ogunnubi '09 has learned first hand just what that reputation can accomplish in the working world.

A summer internship at General Electric (GE) has given Ogunnubi, an electrical engineering major, more than an insight into the inner workings of GE business; it may serve as a stepping stone toward a career opportunity, which will, at the same time, allow him to pursue his Ph.D.

“It was just the experience I wanted. I met with top engineers. There were a lot of smart people there,” he said. “During the internship they had conferences and speakers come on a weekly basis. The president even came one time and spoke. It was a very good experience and I learned a lot.”

He said through that experience, which was arranged through Clarkson and their annual career fair, he learned of graduate study opportunities, as well as the possibility of working on future projects at the globally renowned company.

“It was so far one of the best experiences of my life,” he said.

Transferring in from one of the boroughs of New York City to the rural community of Potsdam, Ogunnubi said it was overwhelming at first. But, he added, the change become easier as he interacted with some of the student body and made some very good friends. He added that the students at Clarkson are very nice and easy to get along with.

Administratively, Ogunnubi said Director of Transfer and International Admissions Trisha Dobbs helped make the switch even easier. He said that only a few minor elective credits were lost in the transfer, but 55 were still accepted into Clarkson.

“Which made it even better because most schools will drop almost half your credits and take you back almost a year,” he said. "Credit-wise they did well. They took a lot."

For students who are looking to move from Bronx Community College to Clarkson, Ogunnubi said the most important thing is to stay focused. He said that while Bronx helped to prepare him, it’s important to stay on top of classes and coursework.

“There’s a lot of competition going on too. You have to be focused, that’s the main thing,” he said.

Since he’s been at the University, Ogunnubi has joined a number of organizations including the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), transfer student society Phi Theta Kappa and the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. Being part of those organizations has also helped expand his network, Ogunnubi said. NSBE alone had 5,000 people and over 300 major corporations from Lockheed and Martin to GE at their recent national conference.

“There are benefits to joining those societies, definitely,” he said.

Another program Ogunnubi has found very helpful is the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). He said that if he needed anything, even something as little as printing out a paper, they’re always willing to help out.

Overall, Ogunnubi said Clarkson has been a good school. While it is hard and there are challenges, staying focused can help one meet those challenges. Academically, he said Clarkson is definitely a good school, top notch.

“It’s not perfect, but you definitely grow here; you develop all your skills. I have without a doubt developed my skills here,” he said.