Student Advisor Halifax Uses Her Six College Degrees To Inspire Black Youth

If you need motivation for the mid-winter slump, look no further than Oluronke Taiwo.

The Black Student Advisor at Dalhousie University and King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia holds six degrees, two of which are masters. She earned her degree while working full-time, attending school full-time, and raising three children.

“When my students come to me… when they get frustrated and say “Oh, I can’t do this”, I sit with them and I use my personal experience to let them know that they have can do,” Taiwo said. “If you put your mind to something, you will succeed.”

Taiwo, a former professor at the College of Medicine in Lagos, Nigeria, moved to Halifax in 1998 with an educational background in biology, microbiology and parasitology. She is part of a research team at Dalhousie University’s Dental Center that is looking at the benefits of chewing sticks in Nigeria, wooden sticks derived from several plants that contain natural antibiotics, fluoride, and other chemicals. anti-cavity ingredients. The United Nations funded her research.

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When the pension ended, Taiwo found himself without a job with a young family to support. She found work as a personal care assistant and, from there, was promoted to manager.

“That’s where I became interested in social work,” she says. “I decided to go back and do both a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in social work while still working as a house manager.”

Taiwo graduated from the Master of Social Work program at Dalhousie University in 2008. Since then, she has been a Black Student Counselor at the university, where she acts as an academic advisor to students of African descent. She provides support through advocacy, mentoring and counseling programs if students are experiencing difficult personal and academic situations.

“My primary role is to support all students of African descent to ensure that they succeed,” Taiwo said.

“My goal is to make sure that all Black students succeed.”

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Taiwan is also an active member of the Black Association of Black Social Workers and the Dalhousie Black Scientific and Academic Staff Council. Part of her mentoring program connects students she mentors with Black instructors and Black professionals so students can network and seek advice on their future careers. surname.

Taiwan not only encourages her students to be mindful of their own academic world, she also inspires them to care about the world around them. Recently, her students participated in celebrations around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, African Heritage Month, and a discussion about International Day for the Elimination of Racism.

“I… appreciate my health and my experiences outside of the classroom,” she said. “I do this through holding bimonthly birthdays, graduations, scholarships and… public activities to allow students… to get together and express how they are feeling. , about what’s going on in the world.”

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