Celebrating Transfer Students: Diana Amima, '20 BSB

Thursday, October 24, 2019

October 21-25 is National Transfer Student Week and we're celebrating UMN transfer stories!

Diana Amima

Diana Amima, ‘20 BSB, Supply Chain and Operations, traveled a bit of a winding path on her way to the Carlson School, but she says it’s all worth it in the end. Diana came to Minnesota in 2014 from Kenya with a 2-year degree and a plan to enroll at the U of M. Unfortunately, she was told her credits could not transfer directly, but an admissions counselor was able to offer her some options nearby to get on the right track. After obtaining her associate’s degree from Saint Paul College, she joined the Carlson School in the fall of 2018 and transferred 57 credits! 

“Prior to me coming here, I attended several information sessions. Those were very helpful as I got to learn the details of being in the Carlson program, as well as network with admissions staff and get to talk to them on a personal level and say, ‘I’m a single mom. How do I fit in? Can I still manage to come?’ They were very encouraging and supportive through all of that. 

I transferred as a junior, so my first entry to Carlson was I-Core (Immersion Core). It was a lot coming from a community college. But honestly, I come back to networking. Being a transfer student and also a commuting student, you don’t get to connect to everyone around campus. I’m also a mom. So I’m always here and then I’m out. I need to go to work or I need to go take care of my kid, so I didn’t have a lot of people to talk to or consult with. 

Then I did the Career Skills class in the summer and alumni came in to advise us on our resumes. I met Nick Alm (‘17 BSB) and we were talking about some of the things he’s doing in my country, so we connected on that level and when I was struggling with I-Core, I called him. The support from talking to people who’ve been there is so important—to hear from someone who’s been through it that I could make it. Network. Connect. Ask. From those who are currently in the program or who have been through the program—you can learn from their mistakes and successes. 

Transfer students can also utilize their advisors to be aware of some of the resources that they can benefit from to make their transition easier. As a single mom of an eight-year-old daughter, balancing my school, work, and her school schedule was rough for me. My advisor told me about the Student Parent Help Center and my daughter received a grant for her to go to before- and after-care at her school. This is just one example of support a student parent can get. Stay open to your advisor or anyone in their network and they will be of great help to guide or talk to you about the resources available.”

The support from talking to people who’ve been there is so important—to hear from someone who’s been through it that I could make it. Network. Connect. Ask. From those who are currently in the program or who have been through the program—you can learn from their mistakes and successes. 

Diana Amima

Are you a transfer student interested in applying to the Carlson School?