Oluwatimileyin — who goes by Timi — chose UL Lafayette for the renowned electrical engineering program and the University’s focus on applied research.
“It was always going to be engineering,” he said. “I just wanted to create, build, and innovate. That has been my main goal.
“With the tools and resources at the University, along with top notch professors,” he said, “I knew it would be the right program for me.”
His freshman year, he took classes that gave him hands-on experience with circuits. He also took his first computer science programming class that year, which helped him decide on a concentration.
“I have strong aspirations to be a software engineer,” Timi said, “and this course, along with the professor, gave me a teaser on what life would be in that field. I enjoyed taking the course and from this joy I was able to declare my computer engineering concentration.”
“I found that there was a community of electrical engineering students — and I do not just mean the people I took classes with,” Timi said. “I was able to meet so many people who were above me who have left a lasting impression with the advice they gave me, and I will continue the cycle.”
He also found an engineering community within the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) which provided him with professional connections he might not have made otherwise.
“NSBE has been able to open numerous doors for my career and I have had the pleasure of meeting so many influential individuals,” he said. “This organization has not only improved my leadership skills but has also made me the man I am today, an individual who will continue to strive for excellence but will make sure to carry others along with them.”
Timi’s life on campus isn’t overtaken by engineering, however. He has had time to take classes in music appreciation.
“I am an avid music lover,” he said. “I was able to see how genres and melodies were created due to this course. It was very insightful, and it is something I put into consideration whenever listening to music now.”
He works as a resident assistant on campus and he serves as the public relations chair for the African Students Association (ASA).
“Our goal is to enrich the student body about African culture and traditions,” he said. “Being a part of this organization has been so thrilling. I witness the little steps we take to make Africa globally recognized.”
Because he’s so busy, Timi said work-life balance is an important part of his life and, “time management is an essential part to enjoying your life and I have exercised that here.”
“Sometimes it is going to be hard, but it is your ability to relearn that will make it much easier,” Timi explained.