Timothy Warokka’s decision to enroll at Great Bay Community College was serendipitous and intentional at the same time.
After graduating from high school near Seattle, he came to New Hampshire for a summer visit with family friends. He intended to return to the West Coast and enroll at a community college there. But his New Hampshire friends introduced him to Great Bay, and once he learned about its programs, affordability, and convenience, he decided to begin his college education in the Granite State.
“I didn’t think I would stay in New Hampshire. All my stuff was in Seattle,” he said. “But it was a no-brainer to go to Great Bay. It was affordable, but in addition to saving a lot of money, the quality of education surpassed my expectations. And that education is the foundation for what I am doing now.”
Warokka graduated from Great Bay with an Associate in Science in Business Administration a year ago and is now pursuing his Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and Business at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C., with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. Born and raised in Manado, Indonesia, his focus on Southeast Asia stems from a deep-rooted desire to contribute to his home country’s development through diplomatic channels – a passion nurtured during his time at Great Bay.
As part of his studies, Warokka recently received an internship in the trade division at the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington.
“I chose to study international affairs because of my experience at Great Bay. My experience there shaped my mind-set of wanting to do something at an international scale, either through business, international relations, or international governmental affairs,” he said.
The course Principles of Global Business, which is part of Great Bay’s transfer pathway curriculum for business majors to four-year institutions, prepares students for careers in multinational organizations. It provides a practical foundation in international business topics, including trade and the complexities of global supply chains, as well the international monetary system and cultural and legal factors affecting international product development, distribution channels, sales, and promotion.
At Great Bay, Warokka also volunteered for the International Club, serving as vice president and managing the club’s social media channels, and for the Student Government Association. He has continued his extra-curricular activities at George Washington, serving as publicity director for the International Students Association at GWU. He also co-founded the Southeast Asia Student Network at GWU, where he serves as the president.
The parallels continue in other areas. At Great Bay, he founded the Badminton Club. He is on the executive board and serves as vice president of the GWU Badminton Club and helped organize the club’s first intercollegiate tournament since the pandemic.
At Great Bay, he also served as a student tutor and worked as a front-desk assistant, welcoming people to campus and directing their phone inquiries. “My work at Great Bay prepared for what I am doing now,” he said. “I am doing the same thing, except it’s bigger and more complex. But Great Bay prepared me for this. I honed my leadership, my teamwork, and my organizational skills at Great Bay and it has prepared me for professional settings.”
He urged students to take advantage of all opportunities at Great Bay. “We are students, so we need to understand that our first priority is academics. But I believe to be a well-rounded individual, you have to be involved in student life outside of academics,” he said. “Both the academics and the extra-curricular activities from Great Bay were instrumental in shaping my development.”
