Brandywine psychology student selected to speak at commencement

MEDIA, Pa. – Catherine Adewumi, a fourth-year psychology major, will speak at Penn State Brandywine’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9.

Adewumi, who transferred from Delaware County Community College after receiving her associate’s degree in psychology, chose to attend Penn State Brandywine because of the proximity to home and having a similar feel to her previous institution.

“I took a tour of Penn State Brandywine after my friends suggested I check it out to complete my bachelor’s degree. It reminded me of Delaware County [Community College], because they’re both small campuses with similar landscapes,” she said. “Then, I saw that Brandywine had everything I needed to complete my bachelor’s degree in psychology, so I decided to transfer here. All my credits transferred really nicely too, which was a plus.”

Adewumi said she chose to major in psychology because she’s always loved working with kids and is aspiring to become a school psychologist. Currently, in addition to being a full-time student, she works full-time as a pre-school teacher.

“I’ve been working with kids ever since I moved to the United States 10 years ago from Nigeria, and it’s always been a passion of mine. When I was thinking about what path I want to take, for a career, I knew I wanted to still work with kids, and I’m hoping to become a school psychologist,” she said.

Adewumi was selected to speak at commencement due to her high grade-point average. When she found out she was speaking at commencement, she said she was both excited and proud of herself.

“I was really happy and proud of myself because I’ve been juggling a lot of things in my life and to be able to have the opportunity to speak at commencement is something I don’t take for granted,” she said.

“Jennifer Nesbitt, chief academic officer, reached out to me and let me know I had one of the highest grade-point averages in my class and asked if I wanted to speak at commencement, and at first, I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to speak,” she continued. “Then, I realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When would I ever be able to speak at my undergraduate commencement again? So, I agreed to do it.”

Adewumi said her speech will reflect on her time at Penn State Brandywine and her experience moving from Nigeria to the United States at 16 years old.

Upon graduating from Penn State, Adewumi will be taking a year off to continue her work as a pre-school teacher while applying to graduate school.