Abdul Omari of South Minneapolis didn't even think of studying at the University of Minnesota when he graduated from South High School. But four years later, Omari is graduating from U of M with a BA degree in Global Studies and a minor in African American and African studies and plenty of friendships and fond memories.

"I came to the U for financial reasons," said Omari, a recipient of Page,  Wallin, and President's Distinguished Scholar scholarships. "but I've grown to love the U more than I thought I would."

You have heard the age-old complaints students of color have about the U. It is huge and there aren't that many students of color. But Omari's success story is the perfect example that if you utilize the vast resources and support systems the U offers, put in the efforts and take control of your own destiny, you can excel.

 "I had the same problem," Omari said. "I was overwhelmed by its size and how few minority students there were. It wasn't motivating. In my first semester here I spent 80 percent of my time in my dorm room."

But in the second semester, at the urging of friends he started to seek out the many wonders of the U. He discovered the Black Student Union (BSU) and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., an African American fraternity at the University, and met lots of new friends. Later on he discovered the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE), the African American and African studies department, the Martin Luther King advising program, and other resources for academic support. He had found his niches at the big U.

"That's when this huge campus of 50,000 became a campus of 3,000," Omari said.

Motivated and engaged, Omari took off. He became vice president of the BSU and served as the assistant district director and undergraduate chapter president of the fraternity. He also served as a peer mentor for MCAE and did internships through INROADS with an insurance company and the U of M Admissions Office.

Despite all his extracurricular activities, Omari still excels in the classroom. He is graduating in four years with a 3.2 GPA. He credited the "amazing professors" at the African American and African studies department and other departments who mentored him and wrote letters of recommendations for him as well as the advisors who guided him.

But to high school seniors who are about to embark on their college journeys, Omari stressed that while the U has a strong academic support system for students, ultimately the individuals are responsible for their own destiny. They have to learn to navigate the U and find the support networks, learn how to manage time, set goals and be diligent about monitoring their academic progress.

"A lot of minority students struggle at the U and think there is no support there," Omari said. "There is support but you have to find it. There are lots of people you can rely on and the advisors all do a good job. But if your goal is to graduate in four years, you are the one who has to figure out your GPA and how many credits you have. You are the one who have to get it done."

Omari officially graduates on May 18. He is seeking a master's degree in public policy from the U of M Humphrey Institute. His ultimate goal is to earn his PhD and become a professor.