Student Profile: Ouleye Ndoye

Ouleye Ndoye Selected as BMW Scholar
for Spelman Class of 2007

Oulèye Ndoye, a junior international studies major, has been named the BMW Scholar for the Spelman Class of 2007. Each year, BMW Corp. scouts the sophomore student body, looking for a woman whom they feel best personifies the qualities -- drive, power, creativity, and intelligence evident in their high-performance, luxury vehicles. After several competitive rounds of interviews, the selection process culminates with the delivery of marketing presentations to the board of BMW representatives.

“The BMW presentation date I was given conflicted with my study abroad travel plans during the fall semester,” Ouleye told us. “I was literally at the JFK International Airport ready to board an airplane for Senegal, when I made the last-minute decision to fly back to Atlanta to present my ideas in person for the 3-series to BMW’s scholarship board.”

The gamble paid off -- as the BMW Scholar, Ouleye receives a full tuition scholarship for her junior and senior years at Spelman, and the opportunity to benefit from a paid internship within BMW’s marketing division this summer.

“The most difficult decisions in college are the ones you make alone; so it feels great when you listen to yourself and end up making the right decision... especially if that decision helps you reach a goal you’ve set for yourself,” Ouleye recommends. “But either way, we learn something about ourselves in the end. I truly believe that, ‘Everything happens for a reason!’”

Raised by a father born and raised in Senegal, and a mother who hails from a Midwestern farming community, Ouleye grew up with a keen understanding about lifestyles literally worlds apart; but she now feels most at home at Spelman where she has flourished both academically and spiritually. In addition to Spelman College’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll, Ouleye is an Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program Scholar and sat on the Executive Board of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. She is also a 2005 graduate of Spelman’s Women of Excellence and Leadership (WEL) Series.

Ouleye is testing out the waters of a future career in law and politics as a named Fellow with the Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP). The IIPP's mission is to enhance U.S. national security and global competitiveness by promoting excellence, international service and cultural competence among a broader, more diverse cross-section of the American citizenry. As an IIPP Fellow, Ouleye participated in the Public Policy Institute last summer. In the fall, she enjoyed her study abroad experience at Suffolk University in Dakar, Senegal. “Studying in Senegal allowed me to perfect my French and Wolof language skills, while studying the colonial history of Senegal and its impact on current Senegalese society.” (She wrote extensively about her experiences living abroad in her editorial column for The Jaguar Print, Sept-Dec 2005 editions).

A driving force in Spelman’s Student Government Association (SGA), Ouleye helped implement the first student alumni fundraising event in 2003; and assisted in bringing the first “Relay for Life” event ever hosted at an HBCU to Spelman’s campus in 2004. The event supports the American Cancer Society's efforts to raise money for cancer research.

Ouleye served as SGA Secretary her sophomore year, and as the current Presidential Advisor, she is involved in the effort to rewrite the SGA constitution. While serving as SGA Secretary her sophomore year, Ouleye founded The Jaguar Print, which made its debut on Spelman’s campus in 2004. She has served as Editor-In-Chief since it’s founding, and watched carefully as. The Jaguar Print has expanded to serve as the sounding board for all events held by student organizations chartered by the Office of Student Activities.

“Through SSGA, I get involved in many community outreach events, but some of my most rewarding moments have come as a tutor and mentor to a young girl at the KIPP West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy.” Ouleye adds, “It is a great feeling knowing how she looks up to me, and that because of our relationship, she plans to attend Spelman College when she grows up.” Ouleye is also active in the community service initiatives organized by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Kappa Chapter, of which she is a member.

Upon graduation, Ouleye plans to complete the IIPP experience with a language institute in Vermont, an internship in Europe, and a combined doctor of jurisprudence and MBA program. When speaking of the future, however, she is quick to caution, “As much as I like to plan ahead, I live by the motto, ‘Let go and let God!’ I know that I have reaped the benefits of His guidance, and none of what I have accomplished thus far would have been possible without Him.”