Minnesotan To Meet: U Of M's Barflaan Tedoe
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – He's the classic over-achiever.
As a junior at the University of Minnesota Barflaan Tedoe's resume already includes a long list of activities, many of which are away from the classroom.
Tedoe is a Cooper High School graduate.
He said he took a class in high school that taught students about the college application process that helped pave the way.
"That was the first time my school has ever done that and I thought they should continue doing that," Tedoe said.
He is the youngest of six and only the second of his siblings to go to college.
"My brother before me went to college. He kind of laid the foundation for me. He went to University of Oklahoma," Tedoe said.
Going on to college wasn't the trend amongst his peers. For many, it just wasn't even on their radar. But that didn't stop Tedoe from going after his dreams.
"I was really comfortable in that setting [in high school], coming to the U of M was so scary," Tedoe said.
Tedoe is Liberian and his name stands for "chief," or "leader," and that name fits his personality and vision in life perfectly.
This past summer he was the head intern for African American recruitment in the university's Office of Admissions.
"The one thing that made me scared was that I was the only person from my neighborhood that even went to a university," Tedoe said.
Now, he's what you call an overly-involved student.
Tedoe is the Communications Director for PRISM, the only multicultural student association of journalists in the country. He also spends his spare time color commentating for sporting events on campus.
He wants to make sure others like him get the same opportunities.
Tedoe plans to pursue a career in journalism and hopes to use his own personal experience to tell more untold stories.