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FEATURES
Student finds calling
through internship
When Denzel Okinedo showed up for his internship at Greater Birmingham Ministries this
summer, he thought he might learn something. Little did he know how much the experience
would change him.
Okinedo, a junior majoring in political science with a minor in human rights and conflict
studies, found himself coordinating two weekly programs at the Birmingham-based interfaith
nonprofit as a Hess Fellow: handing out bags of groceries to low-income residents and allowing
access to a free clothing closet. He also helped retrieve more than $4,000 in illegally held back
wages for undocumented immigrants and checked on voter access in low-income areas.
“The internship taught me so much—not just what advocacy is, but I feel like I learned how to
love and care for people,” Okinedo said. “It really helped me focus on what I’m called to do.”
That’s key for Okinedo, a Huntsville resident who was born in Nigeria to a family of physicians.
He knew he wasn’t meant for medical school, but wasn’t sure what path to follow. Now, with his
new love for advocacy, he’s thinking about law school and then a move into the nonprofit world.
He’ll undertake his pre-law internship this year; he’s also participating in the Panther Partnerships
Mentoring Program and is teamed up with Melanie Merkle Atha ’86, a defense litigator with
Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP. Both experiences should help move him even
closer to his goals, Okinedo said.
“I know that at BSC, I have people who are looking out for my best interests,” he said.
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