John Akudike wants to see more students become professional geoscientists and help resolve geoscience challenges globally. John is excited that OTF is helping make that dream a reality for more students.
What was the most impactful aspect of your OTF experience?
The most impactful aspect of my OTF experience was the opportunity GSA afforded me to connect with students and professionals alike, learning about their research and sharing mine too.
What do you remember most from GSA 2021?
I remember going all-out at GSA 2021. I felt like there were no holds barred as everyone was given equal platform to voice their opinions and each person’s opinion was considered.
What was your mentorship experience like? Would you consider returning to serve as a mentor?
My mentorship experience was awesome! I was matched to my mentor through OTF, and we developed a good professional relationship before finally meeting at the conference.
I look forward to returning to serve as a mentor in the coming years.
How do you see OTF influencing or impacting your future?
I’m doing my best to maintain the relationships and connections I made through OTF, as I believe together, we can all scale our impacts in the geosciences and beyond.
What would you like to say to donors thinking about supporting programs like OTF?
The OTF program afforded me the opportunity to attend my first international conference, and for that, I am immensely grateful. With your support, more students’ dreams to become professional geoscientists would be achieved and they would be able to make some impact in the world—helping to resolve geoscience challenges globally.