As a first-generation student, Olan Sodunke wasn't quite sure how to navigate the college process, not having the guidance of a parent or a guardian during his application process. However, a graduate from his high school was part of Purdue University’s Minority Engineering Program and reached out. For Sodunke, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, everything he was told sounded perfect: A wealth of resources for underrepresented minorities and a strong sense of community that would nurture academic and personal growth.

“It felt like it was a place where I would truly belong,” said Sodunke, a Purdue mechanical engineering student in West Lafayette.

“When I arrived at Purdue, I found everything to be true and more. The support, inclusivity and genuine care for each student’s success make Purdue not just a top engineering school, but a home where I can thrive and grow. I am truly proud to call myself a Boilermaker.”

Sodunke feels settled now, as a senior. As well as being a College of Engineering ambassador, he’s on the First-Generation Advisory Board, the National Society of Black Engineers, the African Student Association, the Mortar Board Barbara Cook chapter and Student Belonging Advocates in the Honors College.

But that comfort has come over time, using those connections, student organizations and societies to truly develop a community at Purdue. Sodunke always has kept moving, kept learning, kept adapting. He has had to.

“Immigrating to the United States from Nigeria was a transformative experience that profoundly shaped my life,” he said. “Faced with cultural shock and the challenge of adapting to a new environment and academic system. Beyond the resilience I developed, the journey instilled in me a deep appreciation for opportunities and shifted my perspective on what I believed was achievable.

“With this newfound perspective, I committed myself to becoming the best version of myself — personally, academically and professionally — fully embracing the opportunities before me and striving to reach new heights.”

Writer: Stacey Clardie, sclardie@purdue.edu
Photos: Yash Trivedi, ytrivedi@purdue.edu
First posted on Instagram @purdueundergradengineers