Hailing from Botswana, Africa, Boitshoko Molefhi said living in Michigan has made him a Midwesterner at heart.
“I spent most of my adult life living in Michigan where I attended Michigan State University for my bachelor’s and master’s education,” Molefhi said. “So, in many ways, a Michigander and Midwesterner all in one.”
Boitshoko Molefhi, who has presented at two national conferences, became a Rocket for the community and space that supports his research interests.
Molefhi is now pursuing his doctor of philosophy degree in history at UToledo. He became a Rocket for the community and space that supports his research interests.
“My greatest success has been finding community,” he said. “Relocating, especially after COVID-19, and moving to a new place and re-building my life was not easy. Finding a community has helped ease the anxieties that come with relocating and leaving a lot behind and provides the bandwidth to successfully navigate the challenges of a Ph.D. program. The longer I have been here, the more it begins to feel at home, and I am learning to love Toledo.”
Though Molefhi has found a home in the Midwest, the reason for his field of study starts at his hometown.
“What started off as a quest to learn about myself by exploring my family history turned into a deeper yearning to understand the roots of not only my people, but the broader community in which I exist and have been molded by,” Molefhi said. “The relatively small historical work done on Botswana inspired me to pursue a history Ph.D. so that I can learn more about my country and its people while being equipped with the skills to teach others the same things I am learning.”
Dr. Shingi Mavima, an assistant professor of history, said Molefhi is a great addition to the History Department.
“Boitshoko’s passion for the work can been seen through his involvement in various campus initiatives and the fact that, within his first year here, he has presented his work at two national conferences,” Mavima said. “We’re glad to have him here, and we are excited to see him continue to grow as a scholar and peer.”
Within the last year, Molefhi has presented at the 2nd Annual Hip-Hop Studies Conference at Howard University and the 49th Annual National Council of Black Studies Conference in Cincinnati.
Molefhi is currently employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. After earning his doctorate, he plans to become a faculty member at a university.
“As a professor, I’d like to build bridging programs from high school to college to improve the transitory experiences of freshman students entering into this new environment that is ever evolving in its complexities,” he said.
“I’ve had many influential teachers in my life that transformed my thinking such that I lost any resistance to learning new skills or ideas. I would like to be that for others.”
