That journey includes pressing pause on her 22-year career in environmental regulation in her home country of Zambia and deciding to return to school as an international student. Munthali will add a Ph.D. in forestry and environmental resources, with a specialization in geographic information systems, to an impressive resume that includes being a Fulbright Scholar<\/a>. Although Munthali found the fuel to get her over the finish line, she seems surprised. <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe it’s happening!\u201d she said, looking ahead towards graduation. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy being at my age and attempting a Ph.D., and realizing that I needed to wear glasses all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n But attempt it she did. The Fulbright committee considered her experience and interests in energy transition, alternative cooking energy and life cycle analysis and recommended that she apply to NC State, where she would receive the rigor and research culture to make an impact. <\/p>\n Munthali said that NC State\u2019s fast-paced, results-driven environment might be \u201cquite daunting\u201d initially to an international student. But what set the school apart for her was its high level of student support. Tapping into NC State\u2019s academic resources, Munthali transformed her \u201cphobia\u201d of the statistical coding software Stata into excitement. \u201cI still can’t believe it, to this day, that I can confidently go into Stata and write out some program without struggling as much as I used to at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n She also found NC State\u2019s counseling services<\/a> to be crucial. Sadly, her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and passed away. Munthali <\/strong>leaned on the emotional support the counseling services provided to get her through that challenging period. <\/p>\n \u201cThere was always some place where you could go and get the guidance you needed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe system is rooting for you. They want you to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Since her classes ended, Munthali has been teaching as a lecturer at the Copperbelt University in Kitwe, a mining city in Zambia, where she mentors young environmental engineers. She\u2019s a natural teacher and it shows. For potential students interested in environmental science or a similar path to hers, Munthali gave this advice: \u201cDevelop a topic that is relevant to you.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cLet it be meaningful to you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":" Perhaps it is not surprising that Wizaso \u201cWiza\u201d Munthali knows well how to tap into available resources. <\/p>\n\n After all, she has dedicated much of her career as a professional and an NC State doctoral student to analyzing alternative energy sources. This Saturday, Munthali will recount a slice of her journey when she takes the stage as a commencement speaker for the College of Natural Resources<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n That journey includes pressing pause on her 22-year career in environmental regulation in her home country of Zambia and deciding to return to school as an international student. Munthali will add a Ph.D. in forestry and environmental resources, with a specialization in geographic information systems, to an impressive resume that includes being a Fulbright Scholar<\/a>. Although Munthali found the fuel to get her over the finish line, she seems surprised. <\/p>\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe it's happening!\u201d she said, looking ahead towards graduation. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy being at my age and attempting a Ph.D., and realizing that I needed to wear glasses all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n But attempt it she did. The Fulbright committee considered her experience and interests in energy transition, alternative cooking energy and life cycle analysis and recommended that she apply to NC State, where she would receive the rigor and research culture to make an impact. <\/p>\n\n Munthali said that NC State\u2019s fast-paced, results-driven environment might be \u201cquite daunting\u201d initially to an international student. But what set the school apart for her was its high level of student support. Tapping into NC State\u2019s academic resources, Munthali transformed her \u201cphobia\u201d of the statistical coding software Stata into excitement. \u201cI still can't believe it, to this day, that I can confidently go into Stata and write out some program without struggling as much as I used to at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/news.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/BK-7700_cropped-1024x576.jpg\")
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