Student Profile: Ahmed Kodouda

Ahmed Kodouda

"The deciding factor was stepping into one of the classes. I felt an engagement from the professor and got the feeling that there’s a lot of respect for teaching here."

International relations major and economics minor: Mc Lean, Va.

Why Bucknell?

"I found Bucknell through the Posse program, which recruits students from the Washington, D.C., and Boston areas for Bucknell and 28 other top liberal arts institutions around the country. I came to visit and the campus immediately struck me — the Academic Quad, Bertrand Library, the whole green, beautiful view welcomes everyone as you walk onto the campus. The deciding factor was stepping into one of the classes. I felt an engagement from the professor and got the feeling that there’s a lot of respect for teaching here. Speaking to the professor and other faculty made me feel that this university really cares about students"
Going Global

“Participating in the Global Res College was the most challenging thing I did my first year. The foundation seminar, Modern World Systems, prepared me very well and allowed me to participate in other events. We visited the United Nations, where we met officials and discussed real-world issues that were covered in the course. We traveled to the State Department and met with the Lebanon Desk Officer, the Geographer of the United States, and the assistant to the Secretary of State — all Bucknell alumni. What impressed me was that the students really engaged and challenged the officials by asking the tough questions. The course really informed us about the world we live in."
Saving Lives in Sudan

"I was born and raised in Khartoum and came to the United States when I was nine. Bucknell has twice offered me the opportunity to go back to Sudan through the Bucknell Public Interest Program. I was able to go back to Sudan and work at a non-governmental organization during the summer that fit hand-in-hand with my academics and job interests. I could not be more grateful.

“I worked with the Sudan Social Development Organization, which helps internally displaced persons, IDPs, tens of thousands of them. The IDP camps are shantytowns made with mud. Last summer, the rainy season had come a lot earlier and stronger than they expected. I got a call the day after the rains from my supervisor to help make an assessment. We spoke to camp elders, took pictures, and discovered that 70 percent of the homes were destroyed. The people relied on us to relay their trauma to the world because state-run media has a news blackout. The government didn’t want the world to see how bad the situation was.

“I worked on the assessment for six hours, then we sent it to the United Nations Development Program, which coordinates NGO work in the country. They knew there was a problem, but they did not know the level of devastation. Through a report I wrote, the U.N. called for a larger assessment. Working with several larger NGOs, we wrote a bigger assessment then started helping the people, getting them plastic sheets, blankets, jerry cans, mosquito nets, and other necessities. In the first week, we distributed 4,000 non-food items in coordination with CARE International. I was engaged and involved with this international effort to help these people in the camps. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life ... thanks to Bucknell.”