Cohort Stories: Meet Olubiyi
vol. 5, no. 69 — guest post by Olubiyi Ojo
One of the things I’m proud of is being raised in a Nigerian household. Without that, I don’t know if I would have the level of drive that I do. Ever since I was a little kid, I was taught that it is crucial to work hard for what you want in life. It was to get A's in school so that I can go to a great college.
Having a hunger for success is something I’m entirely proud of because our society wants black men to lose. Luckily, I have great representations of people in my family who are incredibly successful, which has made me realize that this success level is attainable.
All it takes is hard work and determination to keep going, even when the odds aren’t in your favor. Another thing that being Nigerian has taught me was to be disciplined. I maintain this trait throughout my day-to-day lifestyle. With discipline, it has taught me to be an organized individual and accomplish tasks/goals that I set for myself.
I have always had a strong interest in technology. Even when selecting a movie, I would still prefer to watch a sci-fi movie. But I discovered a strong interest in technology when I was in Business Process Management last semester. In this class, we pretty much help businesses run more sufficiently by simulating their day-to-day interactions. And after the simulation, we had a bunch of data to assess and determine which actions need to be removed or enhanced for the business to run smoothly.
This class had a substantial impact on my interested in technology because it showed that with different programs and software, you could help change the world without needing to be physically present.
This is intriguing because I believe our world has so much potential, and technology will be the leading force to help solve a lot of problems. I can’t wait to see the new inventions that businesses create to make our lives run a lot smoother.
Believe it or not, my dream job was to play in the NFL. But since that’s no longer possible, I would still want to work in the sports industry. I have always loved sports, and it’s something that genuinely interests me. Within this industry, I would want to be a data analyst where you look at the stats of players to predict or assess players how they should play moving forward to be more efficient. Sports Analytics is a growing market as professional teams are beginning to use it to assess their team performance. When I watch ESPN, and they have segments regarding sports analytics, I’m always intrigued. I want to be behind all the analytical models that these companies like ESPN and the NFL develop that they broadcast on national television to support their insights. I want my dream job not to feel like a job since having a strong interest in your career will lead you to long-term success.
