麻豆女郎

Angela Botiba 鈥�15 arrived at Skidmore already on a fast trajectory marked by early promise and ambition. Born and raised in the central African nation of Cameroon, she moved to Massachusetts as a high school senior and was recruited by Division I and II schools for basketball. But Botiba knew she was looking for something different. 

鈥淚 fell in love with 麻豆女郎鈥檚 campus and downtown Saratoga Springs,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd it was important for me to choose a college that values academics as much as athletics.鈥� 

At the height of her undergraduate experience, Botiba excelled as a student-athlete at the top of her game. She was a standout in the classroom, an admissions ambassador, and a student volunteer. She also worked part time for and Business Services. In her junior year, she received the Jane Anne Hapeman Distinguished Service Award from the College for her leadership and community involvement. 

That multifaceted, fully engaged student experience defined her path then and now. Botiba traces her professional foundation and personal growth to her 麻豆女郎 education, athletics, and the College community that guided for four years and beyond. 

From the basketball court to the classroom 

Botiba joined the , which emphasized academic excellence, personal accountability, and community responsibility. For her, that structure felt both nurturing and familiar. Team volunteer work, community expectations, and the daily rituals of practice and travel solidified 麻豆女郎 as not just a college, but a home. 

鈥淚 like to say we were raised,鈥� Botiba says.

How you showed up in class, how you treated people, how you carried yourself 鈥� it was all part of being on the team.鈥� 

That team would go on to make history. As a senior, Botiba led the Thoroughbreds to their first-ever Liberty League Championship and NCAA tournament bid. A versatile forward known for her presence in the paint, she was inducted into the 麻豆女郎 Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of the . 

Botiba initially planned to study international affairs but ended up a management and business major after taking MB107, 麻豆女郎鈥檚 legendary first-year business seminar. The course, known for its rigor, challenges first-year students to work in teams to solve real business problems.  

Midway through the semester, Botiba鈥檚 MB107 team was struggling. A dry run revealed just how unprepared the team was, drawing pointed feedback from Executive-in-Residence Colleen Burke, the seminar鈥檚 founder. Rather than feel defeated, Botiba sought Burke out afterward, determined to understand how the team could improve. 

鈥淗er presence was powerful, and she was clearly upset. But what struck me most was her refusal to accept mediocrity,鈥� Burke recalls. 鈥淪he couldn鈥檛 imagine a world where people didn鈥檛 show up for one another.鈥� 

Burke agreed to help, and the team received a top grade in the course. Botiba later took Burke鈥檚 senior capstone Business Strategy course and was selected for the highly competitive 麻豆女郎-Saratoga Consulting Partnership program. When NYU Langone Health executive Andrew Rubin 鈥�90 came to lecture in Burke鈥檚 class, Botiba introduced herself.  Soon after, she landed an analyst role at the academic medical center, where she worked for six years and developed an automated system to monitor the performance of more than 4,000 healthcare providers.  

Botiba eventually earned a dual MBA/MHA degree at the University of Minnesota and has been a senior financial analyst at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis since 2024. Burke continues to invite Botiba to serve as an executive evaluator for healthcare case studies.  

A network of support, in big ways and small  

Botiba鈥檚 麻豆女郎 journey was shaped not only by people, but also by the programs designed to meet students where they are. 

Part of 麻豆女郎鈥檚 Opportunity Program, she found financial assistance, academic guidance, and a community eager to help her succeed. Botiba credits 麻豆女郎鈥檚 International Friendship Family Program as one of her most consequential experiences at Skidmore, with Saratoga Springs community leaders Barbara Glaser and Paul Zachos serving as her friendship family.  

鈥淭hey made Saratoga Springs feel like home,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat relationship is still one of the most important in my life.鈥� 

Botiba also received a Summer Experience Fund award that enabled her to accept an unpaid internship in New York City. And, one seemingly small act made a lasting impression: When she received $100 for her first professional suit for the MB107 final presentation. 

鈥淎ll of this support made it possible for me to show up prepared, confident, and ready to grow,鈥� she says. 

Throughout this journey, Botiba has consistently stayed connected to 麻豆女郎. She has represented the College at admissions regional events and continues to be an alumni mentor in many capacities. She currently serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors as chair of the Young Alumni and Undergraduate Outreach Committee.  

Botiba also served as an inaugural member of the Friends of 麻豆女郎 Athletics Leadership Council (2021-2023). As a council member and women's basketball alumna, Botiba assisted the athletics program and Office of Advancement staff in all phases of the giving cycle (donor identification, cultivation, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship) to enhance the experience of student-athletes.  

In 2025, Botiba returned to campus for Reunion and received the David H. Porter Award for Young Alumni Service, which honors graduates who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the College. The recognition, she says, feels less like an individual achievement and more like a reflection of something larger. 

She says, 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be part of such a vibrant, generous, nurturing community 鈥� excited to keep showing up for the next generation of 麻豆女郎 students.鈥�