CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- After college, Chloe Itimu plans to return to her native Malawi and, as a pediatrician, fulfill a dream her grandmother suggested to her at 8 years old.

Torn between teaching, ministry and science to become a doctor, Itimu’s grandmother said why not combine all three. You don’t have to let go of your faith to be a pediatrician.

Southwestern Michigan College will hear her story at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 9, as she addresses the School of Arts, Science and Business and the School of Advanced Technology as one of two student speakers for the 59^th Commencement. She said her speech’s theme is growth.

Kaylee Bradshaw of Hartford speaks to the School of Arts, Science and Business and the School of Nursing and Health Services ceremony at 1 p.m.

“I have a long journey ahead of me,” Itimu said. She works as a registered behavior technician for Life Strategies Therapy Services, a mental health service in South Bend, then she hopes to transfer to the University of Michigan.

Itimu, graduating with an associate degree in biology/medical pre-professional, started at SMC in January 2024, but had moved to America from Africa three months before, in October 2023. 

“I did not know anything about the United States or the school systems,” she said, so she Googled “schools near me that have a great reputation. SMC popped up, along with Notre Dame and Andrews. I visited each school and I really liked SMC. They gave me a tour. Everyone was super nice.”

Born and raised in Lilongwe, Malawi, a landlocked country in southeast Africa, “I never imagined I’d be standing here, pursuing my dreams in the United States,” she said. “Initially, the transition was daunting. As an African living in America, I felt isolated and struggled to find my footing. I learned culture shock is real. I packed my whole life in a suitcase and came to a whole new world, adapting to a new and better version of myself, Chloe 2.0.”

“SMC welcomed me with open arms,” the Black Student Union president said, “providing a sense of home and community. The warmth and kindness I received reminded me of the hometown I missed so dearly. I love SMC because it is so close-knit, like my own country.

“SMC taught me that leadership is more than standing in front of a group and instructing them, it’s about serving, listening and empowering others.”

As a pediatrician, she hopes to build health care facilities, providing quality care to children and boosting the economy. “Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the struggles children face without access to health care. ‘Charity begins at home’ is a phrase I never truly understood until I left home. I have encountered many heart-wrenching experiences especially in regard to child health in my country.

“From children hanging on for dear life due to malnutrition-related illnesses to children with tumors from unknown causes to children dying from a cholera outbreak, to babies born with HIV, and, finally, to disabled children roaming the streets, begging for money to pay for treatments, I know I have not even seen the worst of it all. There is so much more suffering that could only be imagined. But one thing I know for sure is that I will be the change I desire to see.”

“I grew up in boarding schools, which are in rural areas,” Itimu said. “I was sick when I was 12 and the lady who oversaw the dorms took me to the rural hospital, which didn’t have enough resources and staff. I had ear pain and saw a kid with a big tumor on his mother’s back. You could see stuff oozing out of it. It was nasty. The line was growing, with kids crying. That was the moment (that confirmed) I definitely want to do this job.”

Find out more about the commencement ceremonies here.