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“My parents raised me to strive for excellence, but it was UB that cultivated the foundation they gave me.”

When Aaron Krolikowski, BS ’09, was preparing his essay to apply for graduate scholarships, his University Honors College faculty advisor, Josephine (Josie) Capuana, told him he should make it more personal, that she couldn’t hear his voice. After a night pondering his place in life, he wrote an essay about how to make a difference in Great Lakes economies by improving the lives of millions while focusing on environmentally sustainable solutions, and his desire to “increase the scope of my values.”

Aaron, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University Honors College and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and interdisciplinary social sciences concentrated in environmental studies, in May, is well on his way.
“Aaron realizes he doesn’t know or have all the answers but he possesses the patience to listen carefully to what others say, take that information and make something positive happen,” said Capuana.

Since his first days at UB in the Honors College, Aaron has been finding his voice and making his mark. He is one of only two students in the university’s history to be named to USA Today’s All-USA College Academic Team First Team, an award honoring students for their outstanding accomplishments as undergraduates.He was one of 20 students nationwide chosen for the first team. He was a 2008 Morris K. Udall Scholar and a finalist for both the 2008 Rhodes Scholarship and the 2009 Marshall Scholarship. He received the 2009 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.

Aaron credits a seminar he took in his sophomore year with SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Claude Welch, who taught African Politics through Novels and Films, for awakening an interest in the world beyond Buffalo and his hometown of Springville, N.Y. He felt compelled to visit Africa. He wrote a grant proposal and secured funding for travel to Tanzania the following summer.

“I went with the idea to work on crop production, but after talking to the farmers, they told me they needed water transport, access to new markets, and better nutrition for their families,” Aaron says. “I realized that what I wanted to do was not what they needed. So instead I worked with them on an irrigation system. We focused on erosion issues and set up a small library about agriculture.” He says he hopes to return one day; in his most hopeful dreams, he can envision a partnership between the farmers he met and UB built around study of sustainability and microfinance.

“Aaron combines personal modesty, strong commitment to principle, extraordinary awareness of the needs of others and a strong ethic of service,” says Welch. “Without question, he has become a full partner with whomever he works—not showing superior expertise but leading by quiet example, hardwork and personal dedication.”

This fall Aaron will start a new chapter in his life as a graduate student at Oxford University. He has received a four-year Clarendon Scholarship to pursue a doctor of philosophy degree in development studies, an interdisciplinary program that draws from economics, anthropology and political science and policy.“I’m extremely excited that I won’t have to work outside of school,” he says. “I’ll be able to focus exclusively on my education.”

At UB he received an Honors scholarship all four years; as part of preparation for the Rhodes and Marshall competitions, he was able to travel to New York City, thanks to funds provided by Daniel and Karen Sperrazza.

“My UB Honors scholarship enabled me to take advantage of all the opportunities at UB and in the region,” Aaron says. “As a student I was able to work with the UB Regional Institute and intern with the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office. These were invaluable experiences for me.”

“Aaron embodies why a public institution needs financial support from every source,” Claude Welch says. “Only by being fully open to all people can we fulfill our multiple missions.”

While Aaron Krolikowski is going far away for now, he’ll come back to the place that helped him fine-tune his life’s mission and give voice to the dreams within him.

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