Greater Expectations
A sociology class changed the trajectory of Nikki Yeboah’s life.
She knew as a teen mom that getting a college degree—the first in her family—would enable her to set an example for her daughter. It wasn’t until that class at community college that she realized how much a strong education would mean for her future, too. Her ability to affect lives could stretch beyond her home address.
“Life will happen, and that's fine, but your education is going to be what's important, what's going to give you the keys to success,” Yeboah said.
Yeboah first found The University of Baltimore through its B.A. in Human Services Administration program.
“I love the fact that it integrated not just like counseling skills, but the whole gamut of human services,” she said. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and it was kind of unique, because I wanted to be able to counsel and practice professionally, but I also wanted to be able to incorporate case management, for example.”
Yeboah came to love a lot more than the program.
For one, finding a job was easy as a UBalt student—employers were familiar with its reputation as a University for working adults. She was able to get a job where she not only could apply what she was learning but was as flexible as her course schedule.
“I really love the opportunity for both day and night classes so I can work and still attend. It's not really that difficult to balance.”
Yeboah’s even found time to get involved on campus. Yeboah served as president for the Women of Color Student Association. She also worked as a wellness coordinator with UBalt’s Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion.
She built a community inside and outside of the classroom that gave her the rounded collegiate experience she didn’t expect but loved.
“I felt less like an older adult,” Yeboah said. “I felt more accepted than being on the traditional college campus, where everyone just seemed to have graduated from high school and went straight into college. The diversity in the smaller university was what really made me stay.”
Yeboah fulfilled her original goal when she graduated in spring 2023. But she knew she wasn’t done.
She decided to stay at UBalt to pursue a M.S. in Counseling Psychology, starting fall 2023.
“My first semester I took full time with three classes, and it really didn't feel like taking classes to be honest,” Yeboah said. “One of the things I love about the grad program is it ties right into what we're doing on a day-to-day basis and in our lives.”
One of her classes, for example, covers diagnosis and psychopathology. She found immediate connections between her work now as a substance abuse counselor.
“It helped me to identify my limitations in what I could do as a counselor, but then be able to notice and refer out when needed, so helping people connect to the services they might really need,” Yeboah said. “That day to day, hands on was almost like going to work again, and learning new skills while you're there.”
Building on what she knows is preparing Yeboah for the future career she wants. Currently, she’s limited in what she can do with her clients, even though she knows the problems they face often stem from other issues.
Once she earns her degree in counseling, she can become a licensed clinical professional counselor and do more for the people she wants to help.
“I'll be able to address trauma as it comes up in a session or I'll be able to diagnose and treat those who might be dealing with a personality disorder, things like that,” she said. … “I'm super excited to be able to really help people holistically.”
Yeboah is proud to be moving toward goals she set for herself—as a mom from a marginalized community, as a first-generation college student, and as someone who has always felt a calling to help others.
“I really want to be able to give back and help break the stigma that people of color can't engage in mental health treatment, so providing opportunities for people to have a safe space where they see someone that looks like them, and maybe be a little more comfortable and change the narrative that it's taboo.”
Going First is an ongoing series highlighting the students, alumni, faculty and staff part of the UBalt community who were the first in their families to earn a bachelor's degree. Read more first-generation stories.