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Olukemi Oshilaja

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Finalist

General information

Religion
Christian
Church
Methodist (AME)

Hobbies & Interests

  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Dance
  • Cooking
  • Travel And Tourism
  • Learning
  • Soccer
  • Modeling
  • Hair Styling
  • Sports
  • Spending Time With Friends and Family
  • Sustainability

Reading

  • Health
  • Pharmaceuticals, Modern Medicines
  • Psychology
  • Sports
  • fashion
  • Cookbooks
  • Cultural
  • Marriage

I read books daily.

Bio

I am an immigrant from Nigeria seeking a career as a pharmacist. I am applying for scholarship assistance to further my career in Pharmaceuticals; to be as competent as possible in my career field, I must educate myself to the fullest extent. I value education and the opportunities it will afford me. I have set high goals for myself, and I am exceptionally conscientious about attaining my career goals. In addition to working full time while going to school, I also volunteer at our local V.A. Hospital, Project C.U.R.E., and medical outreach events. These volunteer efforts are important because I feel this is the best way to give back to my community and gain hands-on experience working with people and fine-tuning my skills. I also enjoyed helping others and advocating for achieving good health status. Fortunately, I have been afforded leadership opportunities at my church, Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church, here in Phoenix, Arizona, as assistant Director of our Food Ministry. Additionally, in high school, I was chosen as captain of the soccer teams, where I learned both team player and leadership skills and played for Junior College. I pride myself on receiving numerous awards for academic achievement and community service awards. These awards are humbling because it means I need to do even more to live up to the achievements my community has acknowledged. My ultimate goals are to work for and achieve a Doctoral degree in Pharmaceuticals. With a deep and myself, I feel that with financial support, I can achieve my goals.

Education

University of Arizona

Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

2022 – 2026

Majors:
  • Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

Grand Canyon University

Bachelor's degree program

2019 – 2021

Majors:
  • Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

Evit - East Valley Institute of Technology

Trade School

2015 – 2016

Majors:
  • Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

South Mountain Community College

Associate's degree program

2015 – 2019

Majors:
  • Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
Minors:
  • Fine and Studio Arts

Corona Del Sol High School

High School

2014 – 2015

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
University of Arizona
Majors of interest:
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Pharmacy Intern

    Pharmaceuticals · Walmart

    Jan 2023 – Present

  • Basic Life Support (CPR) Certification

    Basic Life Support (CPR) Certification

    Jan 2018 – Present

  • Model

    Apparel & Fashion

    Jan 2013 – Jan 2014

  • Sustainability-work study

    Environmental Services

    Jan 2018 – Jan 2018

  • Pharmacy Technician

    Hospital & Health Care

    Jan 2021 – Present

  • Medication Technician

    Hospital & Health Care

    Jan 2021 – Present

  • Caregiver

    Hospital & Health Care

    Jan 2019 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Pharmaceuticals
Dream career goals:
Pharmacists
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Bold Dream Big Scholarship
The path to my dream life has been paved with many challenges and obstacles, but I am relentless about achieving my dream life. First and foremost, my dream life includes earning a doctoral degree in Pharmaceuticals working as a pharmacist or chemist in the U.S. To the extent that I can open my own company business in improving and discovering newer and better medication to maintain a healthier quality of life, then married at some point to a wonderful man in my mid-thirties and eventually a couple of children. Additionally, my dream life would include volunteer services in the community where I live and being an example for young people to achieve their goals no matter their circumstances.
BJB Scholarship
Growing up in Nigeria, where we have numerous tribes, taught me a great deal about the meaning of community. For me, the community is another word for village. A village is a place where people work together to provide all the necessities of life and the necessary values to live a meaningful and productive life. Giving back to my community is an absolute must, making an impactful difference. More specifically, the village/community is where I feel safe and protected for being the importance of giving respect to everyone, especially your elders. It is a place of discovery that prepares you to go out into the world and determine your purpose and why we must give back once we are in a position to help others. Currently, I am working as a caregiver for the elderly. I chose to do this kind of work because I enjoy assisting my elders with their health needs or providing them with companionship. On occasion, I am afforded the opportunity to speak at Youth Conferences seminars about the importance of quality education and discovering its purpose. I also volunteer at various health fairs or festivals with disturbing helpful information and assisting healthcare providers. I envision a multi-faceted future; after obtaining my doctoral degree from a prestigious university, I would like to work as a pharmacist or in a lab that tests and improves various medications. Eventually, I would like to have my lab where dedicated staff work to develop new medication with little or no side effects. Moreover, I Volunteer at our church food ministry, where we give out food boxes and assist with other household needs. I would also like to establish a foundation to raise money for scholarships given to students who are seriously seeking to achieve educational goals in Math, Science, and Pharmaceutical fields.
Black Students in STEM Scholarship
As a child, I grew up believing that any career associated with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics was only for the exceptionally brilliant students. During this time, I quietly harbored the idea of becoming a pharmacist. This would be a dream come true if I could somehow overcome it at that time. Some of the obstacles I faced actually came from some of my own family members who voiced low expectations of me. Despite this, in my mind, I cling to the belief that if I was diligent in my studies, I could achieve my dream of becoming a pharmacist. Coming to America proved to be a major step in the right direction; educational opportunities were offered to me that more than ignited my determination to achieve my goals. I began to excel in the STEM curriculum, and better understood the importance of STEM in our daily lives, our dependence on the innumerable uses of technology, i.e., mobile phones, computers, medical diagnostic tools, and much more. This spurred my interest even more in Pharmaceuticals. My desire to learn more became a daily journey to discover as much as I could about Science, Mathematics, and Medicine. Moreover, these discoveries have improved my analytical and critical thinking skills. As I continued to progress, I added to my long-term mission the possibility of developing and opening a scientific lab to research medication with few side effects. I realize that the overall effects of my knowledge base in STEM have been life-changing most positively on this educational path. It has enhanced my conviction to achieve success.
Bold Caring for Seniors Scholarship
As a young child, I spent more time with my grandmother than anyone else in my family. During these times, I learned the importance of being respectful and assisting my elders. Being from the Yoruba tribe, one of the West African ethnic groups in Nigeria, we hold our elders in high esteem, and the same goes for caring for them, whether family or not. This cultural and familial upbringing has instilled a great sense of responsibility regarding the elderly. My grandmother's experience inspired a lasting desire to care for the aged in memory of her due to difficulty reading prescriptions. Those memories also involve assisting with her daily routine at the house and running errands for her. Interestingly, every time I see an older person, it reminds me of my grandma. Due to this, apart from being related to my field of choice. I chose to be a caregiver because I understand its difference in their lives. I work diligently in caring for the aged or those with terminal illnesses or the need for companionship. Moreover, the most important thing I try to do to improve the lives of older people in my community is by volunteering at my local church, Greater Bethel AME. It involves spending time with people who need some companionship and helping with their house chores. I treat all my patients with kindness and respect. Seeing their faces light up when I am with them gives me a sense of joy and a way of honoring my grandmother.
Bold Financial Literacy Scholarship
On entering the working world at the age of nineteen, I learned that everything I learned about money management from my family was quite significant. Growing up in Nigeria and being raised by my grandma, I watched her feed many people with a limited income from a small trade business. The way I learned from her, my dad, and my aunt has taught me that every dime counts. It taught me how to budget and save some money. She made me believe that saving is as important as good budgeting. In her words, “Save some part of your salary every month no matter the cost; save your money, my daughter, so that you have some money to rely on to avoid a financial crisis. I have never forgotten these powerful words; I am applying them to my daily life, which helped me live within my means and manage my finances. In our current economy, where things are getting more expensive, knowing the value of money and money management is especially vital to our day-to-day living and our futures.
Bold Science Matters Scholarship
My favorite scientific discovery would be the ability to inject CRISPR gene editing directly into the bloodstream. Gene editing is a modern scientific and medical technique that cures inheritable or gene-related diseases. Research has been on improving the use of the CRISPR gene-editing technique is important to a better quality of life. The previous methods involved extracting cells from the patient while the CRISPR worked on them and then editing the genes back into the body. This technique is time-consuming and expensive, and patients would still have to undergo chemotherapy while waiting for the transfer of genes. CRISPR gene editor is a breakthrough in the Scientific method. The advent of the CRISPR gene editor being injected directly into the bloodstream facilitates rapid gene modification efficiency and allows for close monitoring of the patient's progress. I feel blessed to know and understand this new procedure in gene editing.
Olukemi Oshilaja Student Profile | Bold.org