How did I end up at Franklin College of Indiana?

Founded in 1834, Franklin College (FC) is a residential liberal arts and sciences institution located 20 minutes south of Indianapolis. Franklin offers various undergraduate majors and master’s degree programs in Physician Assistant Studies and Athletic Training. The unique curriculum merges classroom instruction with immersive experiences, research opportunities, and study-away programs. Students participate in 21 NCAA Division III sports, esports, Greek life, musical and theatre productions, and more than 40 student organizations. As the first college in Indiana to become coeducational with the admission of women, Franklin welcomes diversity of thought, belief, and person into a community that values equity and inclusion. Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA. For more information, visit www.FranklinCollege.edu. 

I chose Franklin because I wanted a liberal arts education and small class sizes. The average class size at Franklin is 15, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. At the time, coming to America was an adjustment. To allow for an easier transition, I preferred smaller classes where my professors and classmates would know me and vice versa. This atmosphere would enhance my college experience. 

When I was applying to colleges, I didn’t know about Franklin, given it’s a small school and no one from the United States Achievers Program (USAP) had attended the college before. USAP is the program that helped me land a scholarship to come to the US. I had finished my college applications when I heard about Franklin from Professor Chikwana. At the time, I was burnt out from writing college essays, personal statements, etc., and I was celebrating being done. Professor Chikwana traveled to Zimbabwe from the US for the first time in ten years to spend his winter holiday visiting family. Before leaving for Zimbabwe, he had advocated for Franklin to offer scholarships to international students to increase diversity at the college.  

Professor Chikwana went to the US embassy’s educational office when he arrived in Zimbabwe. He met with the educational advisor Mrs. Mano to ask if there were students who would be interested in applying to Franklin College. In my USAP class of 2015, there were 30 students to choose from, but Professor Chikwana asked Mrs. Mano if there were any candidates from the high school he had graduated from, Kutama College (yes, this is a high school name). Thanks to Kutama College, we got connected, and the rest is history. 

Professor Chikwana got my contact details, and we scheduled a meeting and chat. During our conversation, we hit it off and connected on our shared high school experiences. Our connection then drew me to like Franklin, given professor Chikwana was teaching there. If I was going to a foreign country for college, having a Zimbabwe family close by would make things more bearable. I knew I would have a place to eat sadza (a staple food in Zimbabwe made from corn/maize) and speak Shona (a Bantu language of the Shona people in Zimbabwe) when I got homesick (which I still do even now, years after leaving Franklin). I gave professor Chikwana my transcript, SAT scores, college application, personal essay, etc., and he took my documents to Franklin. About two weeks after submitting my application, I received an email that changed my life forever. Franklin College offered me a place and a full tuition scholarship. USAP helped me find a scholarship to cover my room and board expenses. With a place and finances sorted, I accepted the offer and attended Franklin College for four years, majoring in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.

I am forever indebted to professor Chikwana, his family, and Franklin College for offering me this opportunity and changing my life. If you want to learn more, feel free to contact us here or email us at [email protected]. Please let us know in the comments section if you have any questions.

I am looking forward to hearing from you!