Ebuka Okoli, M.S. ’24, has always been fascinated by cross-cultural communication and how diverse groups of people communicate in an organizational context. It’s for this reason he moved over 6,000 miles from Nigeria to Normal to pursue a master’s in communication at Illinois State University.
“When looking up schools in the U.S. to attend, one of the things that drew me to ISU was its achievements and its renowned reputation for teaching,” said Okoli.
While browsing the School of Communication website, he took handwritten notes about every professor and compared them to other schools, because he wanted to attend an institution where his academic journey would be supported.
“ISU, compared to the other schools that I looked at, was the one that stood out for me,” said Ebuka. “It was a straight-up decision for me to say, ‘You know what, I don’t know anybody here. I’ve never been here, but the prospects look good, and I’m going to take a chance on it.’”
Taking a chance on Illinois State turned out to be a good bet for Okoli.
“ISU gives you that quality education that you need, so that as you are completing your academics, you are also preparing for the life after that.”
Ebuka Okoli
“ISU gives you that quality education that you need, so that as you are completing your academics, you are also preparing for the life after that,” said Okoli.
Okoli’s professional work in Nigeria centered around helping the government draft organizational goals in relation to employee roles and strategic planning. Through this work, he noticed gaps in organizations effectively communicating their goals to employees.
“I’m from a multicultural country, and I am familiar with the concept of how messages can be either gained or lost, depending on who carries the message and how it is delivered,” said Okoli. “Looking at the U.S., the most multicultural country in the world, there are organizations who have diverse people, and how you communicate to them would not necessarily be in a general way.”
Witnessing these communication issues in the workplace led Okoli to furthering his education to learn more about how he can be the problem-solver in these situations.
“I knew that I wanted to do something related to internal organizational communication, but I didn’t have a clarity as to which particular direction to go until I started taking classes.”
Not only did he find clarity in his academic pursuits at Illinois State, but he also formed strong relationships with faculty in the School of Communication.
“One of the professors that really stood out for me was the co-director of the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) program, Dr. Cheri Simonds,” said Okoli. “We had the two weeks training as GTA’s, and it was my first time teaching in the U.S. She was incredibly amazing and helped a whole lot. Then, as I continued with my journey, Dr. John Baldwin became a mentor for me.”
As Okoli began applying to Ph.D. programs, Baldwin became someone who helped him find the right fit for his long-term academic goals.
“He knew my long-term vision beyond grad school, and he was able to guide me at different points into the right path, academically as well as professionally,” said Okoli. “We still keep in touch, because he’s simply amazing.”
Okoli is pursuing a Ph.D. in communication at Arizona State University. He hopes to further his career in academia by researching cross-cultural communication strategies in organizations and the implications of artificial intelligence in education and organizational learning and development and professionally by consulting on organizational communication.
Dr. Byron Craig, interim chief equity and inclusion officer at Illinois State, and a member of Okoli’s thesis committee lauded Okoli’s research on the use of ethics in approaches toward Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) initiatives at colleges and universities.
Craig also invited Okoli to discuss the implications of his findings for Illinois State. These meetings provided opportunities for consultations, during which Okoli shared strategies for improving EDIA implementation at Illinois State.
At Arizona State, Okoli received a Transformation Project seed grant from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication to present this research at the National Communication Association annual convention in New Orleans this fall.
As an international student at Illinois State, Okoli became friends with other international students on campus both within his program and outside of it.
“ISU has a lot of international students, so you don’t feel like you’re the odd one out,” said Okoli. “It’s helpful because you can share experiences, concerns or worries, and some of them who have been here longer can give advice.”
He also felt encouraged by the announcement of fellow Nigerian, Dr. Aondover Tarhule, as the 35th president of Illinois State University.
“It was a big moment for me, and it really tells me that if you keep working hard, and keep doing the right thing, the right opportunity will find you.”
In addition to finding a community with the international students at Illinois State, Okoli felt supported by School of Communication faculty who helped him acclimate to graduate school in the U.S. and made sure he felt welcome, especially over the holidays when he couldn’t travel home.
“I want to send a shout out to all the professors that I worked with, because they were incredible,” said Okoli. “At the end of my program, they all voted me Outstanding Graduate Student in my cohort. I didn’t enter the program saying, ‘Oh, this is what I want to achieve.’ But they saw the work I put into projects and opportunities and decided that was something I deserved. It’s something that I strongly appreciate.”
