Transfer student finding her way at Claflin

Teona White at her summer camp job.

As she packs up her dorm room in Asbury to move back home for the summer, she reflects on her junior year.

She thinks about the transition from Benedict College to Claflin University, the new friends she made, the organizations she joined, and the memories she created. She reflects on her junior year as her best year in college so far.

Early childhood education major Teona White’s first year at Claflin has gone better than expected. She transferred from Benedict because of the discontinuance of her major and it has been her best decision yet.

As Teona plans to be a teacher after the completion of college, she transferred in order to be able to complete her degree in early childhood education.

Although her transition hasn’t been the smoothest, she made the best of it. 

“Being a transfer student, I felt that my transition could have been easier. I don’t think that either school is properly equipped to help students transfer comfortably,” Teona said. She had trouble with the transfer of her credits and was set back a year academically and wished that the credits for previous courses she’d taken were accepted.

Beyond her setback academically, she’s making her mark on campus. She joined W.H.I.S.P.E.R. (Women Heroically Inspiring Students Professionally Educationally and Respectively) in the spring semester and became the community service coordinator for the organization. While this is her first organization and leadership position, she plans to excel because of her previous experiences.

Teona has become friends with a variety of students. She has made friends in her residence hall.

In the classroom and in the organization. Her friends are making the overall experience at Claflin University better. 

As she continues at Claflin University, she plans to be more involved and meet new people.