#WhitmanWatch: Maryann Akinboyewa

Class of 2015
Majors: Marketing Management, Writing and Rhetoric
Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannakinboyewa

If you’re a student at Syracuse University, chances are you’ve come across Maryann Akinboyewa at some point during the last four years. Between various internships, two majors and extensive involvement on campus, Maryann certainly keeps herself busy at Syracuse.

For Maryann, the most rewarding of these involvements has been her selection as a Syracuse University Remembrance Scholar. Each year, 35 students from the senior class are selected to represent the 35 students killed during the Pan Am 103 terrorist attacks. Maryann was selected to represent a woman named Kesha Wooden. “To me, she is the epitome of all that is finest,” said Maryann. “I am proud to have had this opportunity and it will forever be one of the highlights of my time at Syracuse.”

Maryann has also worked extensively with the Office of Engagement Programs since becoming volunteering with an after-school art program called “smART” during her freshman year. She was appointed assistant program director during her sophomore year, and she is still running the program two years later. She recently renamed the program “REAL Girls” to reflect the work that she does with middle school girls in Syracuse. “Though it’s an art program, I spend a lot of class time teaching the girls about self-esteem and confidence,” Maryann explained. “It’s wonderful to be able to share my experiences with them and hear theirs, too.”

At Whitman, Maryann serves as the vice president of programming for the inaugural Whitman Student Government. “It’s incredible to be a part of something that ensures my peers’ voices are heard,” said Maryann. In this role, she hosts the bi-weekly presidents’ meeting that includes all of the heads of Whitman’s many student organizations. She also plans and executes events for the school, the first of which took place last week. On Thursday, April 23, WSG hosted a day of community bonding between faculty, staff and students known as WHITfest.

Maryann has also held numerous internships while at Syracuse. During her freshman year, she worked in Carnegie Library, which allowed her to meet many different students on campus. As a sophomore, Maryann worked as a communications assistant in the Division of Student Affairs and quickly discovered a knack for marketing communications. Last summer, she had the opportunity to move to Africa to complete a digital marketing fellowship abroad with a women’s empowerment organization, combining her academic interests with her passion for female empowerment.

This semester, Maryann has served as a public relations intern for Eric Mower & Associates. “Public relations is so critical is this day and age,” she said. “Even though it’s my last semester, it’s important to me that I learn as much as I can about an industry that absolutely fascinates me.” Upon graduation, Maryann will be going on to work for a content marketing firm, while continuing development on her side-project called “Be Kind More Confident” that aims to empower women and girls.

In Maryann’s time at Whitman, her experiences outside the classroom and the relationships that she has built with professors and peers have provided countless opportunities for success. “My time at Whitman has been an enriching one, and though I will be sad to leave my home, I look proudly towards the future,” said Maryann. “Whitman has made me strong, gritty and business-savvy. I feel ready for anything.”