When Olga Hamilton received her acceptance to the University of Michigan School of Information, she heard a small voice coaxing her onward, telling her this was the right path.

It belonged to her daughter, Abigail, age 7. 

“My mom is going to U-M,” Abigail announced to her classmates. “The big school! And we're going to move there.”

This fall, Hamilton entered the Bachelor of Science in Information program as a transfer student from Grand Rapids Community College, where she studied computer programming. It was a big move — one she had been working toward, step by step, for more than a year. She was motivated by the feeling of certainty she had while participating in UMSI’s Community College Summer Institute: that this school, this community, was where she wanted to be.

But when she got her acceptance, the move felt almost too big: Could she afford to go to school full time? And what about her family’s home and life in Grand Rapids? 

“My husband really supported me in this process,” she says. “He was like, ‘U-M? We’re going. We can do that.’”

The three of them embarked on their Ann Arbor adventure, securing U-M family housing a 10-minute bus ride from campus, so Hamilton could balance life as a full-time student.

She is one of 49 in UMSI’s largest-ever cohort of “new transfers” — students who enter the BSI program from an institution outside of UM-Ann Arbor. Students can transfer from a community college or four-year institution to join the program as early as their sophomore year.

On the information analysis path, Hamilton is passionate about “working with data to help people make good decisions.” 

She began her career as an IT professional in her home country, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the next decade, she held multiple technical roles within national service organizations and nongovernmental organizations. In her second job, she was responsible for collecting and analyzing survey data from schools across DRC to evaluate educational programs and inform teacher training. 

“It was a huge and really important project in Congo,” Hamilton says. “And, in the end, the project was about the data we were collecting. It was not just coding, but working with data to solve problems. I was like, ‘That is what I want to do in the future.’”

At UMSI, she is expanding these skills alongside her classmates. Two of her closest friends in her transfer cohort are fellow parents. “We always catch up and check in,” she says. “‘Did you start this project? Can we do it together?’” 

Her daughter Abigail is thriving near “the big school.” She refuses to be seen with the Spartan green of her dad’s alma mater and has gone all in on Michigan blue. “I’m going to come here,” she tells her mom when they walk through campus together.

For Hamilton, sharing this experience with family — in Ann Arbor and afar — is one of the deepest joys. 

“My mom is so proud of me,” Hamilton says. “She didn’t go to school. She had to step aside when my grandfather died so she could work with my grandmother and help the family. It’s really something I’m doing not just for me, but for the village.” 

In prioritizing her education, she is paying homage to her mother before her and her daughter after her. 

Hamilton’s advice to prospective transfer students is to come to campus and connect with students. Learn about staff and the support they provide. When asked what she’d tell students considering UMSI, she smiles and says, “It’s the place to be.” 

Supporting transfer journeys 

It’s the place to be this week, especially. During National Transfer Student Week, Oct. 21-25, UMSI is celebrating transfer students with a full slate of events, including an appreciation lunch and information sessions for prospective students.

The perspectives and experiences transfer students like Hamilton bring to the BSI program — from interacting with real data for an NGO to raising a child — enrich not only their learning experiences but those of their peers, says LeAnna Level, UMSI’s assistant director of diversity recruitment and admissions.

“When you think of the school’s mission, 'We create and share knowledge so that people will use information — with technology — to build a better world,' in order for us to truly fulfill that, we need people with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” Level says. “We need community college students, nontraditional students, parents, folks with real-world experience, and those pivoting from different disciplines and industries.”

Level and her colleagues at UMSI take a comprehensive approach to supporting transfer students. This is an effort that spans offices — from Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid, to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to Academic Programs and Student Life. 

At the 2024 National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students conference, Level presented with Sandra Lopez, DEI educational outreach program manager, about their work to empower community college transfer students. Their poster illustrates the pathway a student might take — not just to the BSI program at UMSI but through it. At each stage, UMSI provides resources to help students overcome common barriers.

Notably, in early 2024, UMSI hired a staff member solely dedicated to transfer recruitment and admissions, Morgan Gavorek. In this role, she has expanded UMSI’s visibility on community college campuses, offered guidance to prospective students through an increased number of one-on-one meetings, and launched the iTransfer program, a pre-transfer initiative designed to guide community college students through the application process.  

Gavorek is committed to this work. She was a community college transfer student herself, having graduated from Washtenaw Community College and gone on to a four-year institution. She worked full time while earning her degree. “I know firsthand how challenging the transfer process can be, which is why I try to help students every step of the way,” she says. 

Thriving at UMSI

New transfer students are admitted into a cohort that becomes their first community at UMSI, offering an immediate sense of belonging on a new campus. 

For Olive Ren, a senior in the BSI program who transferred to UMSI from another four-year university, that community has been enduring. 

“The transfer cohort was the best thing that happened to me, because I was able to see the same people regularly, and friendship naturally sparked,” she says. “We support each other professionally and personally. These are friends for a lifetime.”

Further support comes in the form of the iSuccess program, led by senior academic advisor Libby Jones, which provides dedicated resources and advising to new transfer students during their first year at UMSI. The goal, Jones says, is to ensure a cohesive experience as students transition into the BSI program.

“I love the advising team and my advisor Libby,” Ren says. “Because they set everything up, it was easy to know which classes to take, and if I wanted to switch career plans or take classes outside of UMSI, it was clear what I needed to do.”

Ren, who is on the user experience design path, chose UMSI because of the strong career preparation students receive and because the professors seemed dedicated “to doing what was meaningful.”

“My experience proved that this was true,” she says. “I met professors who profoundly inspired me, and I will always remember the lessons I learned about accessibility and equality in tech.” 

Her advice to future transfer students: Look for opportunities to grow. “That's how you get the most out of anything.”

LEARN MORE

During National Transfer Student Week (Oct. 21-25), UMSI is celebrating current and prospective transfer students. View events here. 

Interested in transferring to the BSI program from a community college or four-year institution? We made a page just for you.