The Freshman Experience: Ire Aderibigbe

Class of 2028

Major:

Hometown:

Fairfax, Va.

Where are you from and what brought you to Marymount?

I was born in Fairfax, Va., and lived here for about nine years before moving abroad with my family. Since then, I’ve lived in India, Germany and most recently Uganda. After graduating from high school in Uganda, I wanted to come back to the U.S. for college, specifically in Virginia. I wanted to find a school that had an amazing elementary education program that would offer me lots of great opportunities to learn and grow. Marymount checked all of those boxes for me, so I decided to continue my education here.

What have you been involved with on campus?

At the beginning of the year, I tried out for the Marymount Dance team. I discovered a love for dance while living in India, and I was excited about getting to learn and grow as a dancer in a team environment. On the dance team, I’ve learned new hip-hop and contemporary dance routines and have built awesome relationships with coaches and other dancers. Overall, it’s helped me feel welcome on campus while building friendships with my peers. When I’m not at dance practice, I like to explore the D.C. area, get tea with friends and spend time with family. For me, freshman year was a time to adjust and get comfortable at Marymount, so I stuck to the activities and people I was familiar with. But in the coming years, I plan to step out of my comfort zone and explore the other activities available at Marymount and in the D.C. area.

What is your favorite thing about Marymount so far?

I find a lot of comfort in Marymount’s intimate and quiet campus. At the same time, there are still many activities to do and places to visit. Having a space where I can build friendships and grow as an individual, academically and personally, is incredibly valuable. I love that Marymount is both a peaceful place where I can rest and recharge, and an environment where I can meet new people and experience new things.

What are you looking forward to next year?

I hope I can learn as much as I can from the teachers, staff and environment around me! Now that I am comfortable at Marymount, I’m looking forward to getting more involved in the clubs and activities offered on campus. I like creative writing and I’m hoping to get involved with The Banner or BlueInk in the coming years. I would love to get published and share some of my creative writing with the campus community. I am also looking forward to advancing in the Elementary Education program, doing some student teaching and getting some practical hands-on experience in the field. I’m not sure exactly what next year will look like, but I’m excited to find out!