Student spotlight: Ben Ndalima

October 2, 2019

Senior business management major Ben Ndalima is a prime example of the benefits of a liberal-arts-focused higher education. While working to earn his business degree, Ndalima is also completing a minor in music and plans to use both to benefit his home country of Tanzania.

Upon graduation, Ndalima plans to return to Tanzania to help strengthen both music and business offerings for people who may not otherwise have access to those resources.

“I want to help people,” he said. “People back home don’t have all the resources that we have here, so with my degree I want to help the people back home and then hopefully grow into helping other developing countries as well.”

Ndalima came to Alabama in 2015 and attended Central Alabama Community College for a few years before discovering he belonged at Montevallo. As a participant in CACC’s TRIO Student Support Services, Ndalima had opportunities to tour multiple area universities and knew UM was right for him as soon as he arrived on campus for his visit.

“The moment I stepped on campus, I was like ‘Wow!’ I didn’t even have to think about it. This was where I needed to be,” he said.

Ndalima has made the most of his time at UM, and has become heavily involved in the Phi Chi Theta business fraternity and the University’s famous College Night tradition, where he plays percussion in the Purple Side pit orchestra.

“I feel like this is home,” Ndalima said. “The people are friendly and the business and music programs are great.”