HULT PRIZE 2021: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CAMPUS DIRECTOR
'Tis the season to be jolly! Happy New Month, everyone! I hope we have all been good. I’m sure we’ve been seeing the Hult Prize flyers around and you might have wondered, what exactly is the Hult Prize?
The Hult Prize is the world’s largest social impact competition. Run in partnership with the United Nations, student teams come together to compete to solve a pressing social issue by developing a scalable, sustainable social enterprise. Finalists pitch to a panel of esteemed judges, global business leaders, thought leaders, and change makers to win 1M USD and launch their enterprise.
This year’s theme is: Food for Good.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the Campus Director for the University of Ibadan. It is an enlightening read. Enjoy.
Comfort: Good day, please, could you introduce yourself?
Faithwin: I am Faithwin Gbadamosi, a 400 level student of the department of Geography.
Comfort: Nice to meet you.
Faithwin: It’s nice to be here.
Comfort: How did you first hear about Hult Prize? And when did you join the organization?
Faithwin: I joined last year when Obinna Ugwu was still the Campus Director.
My roommate, Jessica Aletor, introduced me to Hult Prize. We were having a conversation and Hult Prize popped up. Luckily for us, applications for team members were open, so we both applied.
Comfort: That’s great, and now you’re leading the team, that’s wonderful.
How did you decide on the theme for this year’s competition?
Faithwin: The theme was picked by the Global team (Hult Prize Foundation) actually. Each year, the global team picks a pressing social issue and challenges tertiary institution students to come up with profitable solutions to the problem.
Comfort: How do you think the contestants response to the theme has been? Do you think they interpreted it well?
Faithwin: They have taken it head-on and brought so many wonderful ideas to the Hult Prize Table.
The problem of food is one that’s very relatable and we have so many great minds creatively proffering solutions in the various teams.
The given manual for the year was very explanatory and gave adequate direction and we had speakers during the boot camp elucidate more on this and it really helped them and it was evident at the elevator pitch where we listened to so many wonderful ideas.
Comfort: Interesting. How has it been heading the teams?
Especially during this lockdown, there must have been many challenges to overcome. Holding meetings virtually and all that..
Faithwin: It has been not been easy to be honest. We’ve had so many challenges, and keeping people motivated this season is difficult but with my team, each challenge we scaled through moved us a step further in the right direction and we’ve kept pushing regardless.
Even though we haven’t had a physical meeting yet, their efficiency has been quite commendable.
Comfort: That’s good to hear. You’re in the Finals now, if I’m correct?
How many teams are left? And is there a definite date when the winners will be announced?
Faithwin: Yes, you are. We have 10 teams left. Our Grand Finale is coming up next week, Saturday, December 5. The winners will be announced then.
Comfort: Wow. And how many teams did you start with?
Faithwin: We started with over 70 teams.
Comfort: That’s incredible! As a Geography major, how has Geography been for you? Where can you work if you study Geography? Do you plan to have a career in Geography?
Faithwin: Geography has been awesome. It has not been an easy ride though but I’m pushing it.
Where can you work? You can work anywhere, even in the medical field. We have different branches and all. Most people go with GIS, spatial analysis, environmental sustainability and research.
And no, I don’t plan to have a career in Geography.
Comfort: So what are your interests, hobbies?
Faithwin: I’m passionate about social development, so I like to involve myself in anything that’s in line with that. I am also a program management enthusiast.
Most times, I’m either volunteering or working towards my personal development.
In my leisure, I like to watch movies (especially horror movies), read books and do some creative thinking generally. When I’m not doing all of that, I’m definitely sleeping.
Comfort: What has your time as the campus director for Hult Prize taught you?
Faithwin: Several things. Where do I start from?
Before Hult Prize, I wasn’t exactly the kind of person you would call a leader. But Hult Prize has taught me how to be resilient, to believe in and understand people, to be confident and to take ownership of things.
It has not been easy, sometimes I want to disappear but I honestly would not have it any other way.
Comfort: Thank you so much for your time, Faithwin.
Faithwin: It was my pleasure.
You can connect with Faithwin on:
LinkedIn: Faithwin Gbadamosi
Instagram: Faithwinnn
Twitter: TheFaithwin
More importantly, if you’re interested in joining the Hult Prize team, or participating in the next competition, you can follow their social media for updates.
LinkedIn: Hult Prize University of Ibadan
Instagram: hultprizeUnibadan
Twitter: hultprize_ui
Check out the finale of this year’s competition themed, 'Food for Good’
You can register by clicking the link below:
ABOUT US
WIE-UISB stands for Women in Engineering, University of Ibadan Students Branch. A community dedicated to empowering ladies in Engineering and other STEM fields.
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