Oyinade Togun is a full-time student at Fisk University (a UNCF-member institution) with entrepreneurial pursuits.

Togun, a Nigerian international student, received the Goldman Sachs Market Madness Program, administered by UNCF, which provided her with financial support and the opportunity to learn more about business leadership. “The scholarship was really helpful for me, especially as an international student,” she said.

Through the Goldman Sachs Market Madness Program, Togun participated in a case study competition focused on corporate America, where she gained lessons in financial training, market research and investment risk. The program helped her consider how to balance the demands of business while keeping academics as a priority. “Before being a businesswoman, I am first a student,” she shared. “Being a student is my priority.”

Togun is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in business. She plans to become a medical science liaison working at the intersection of gene therapy and sickle cell research.

Eventually, Togun wants to establish a nonprofit organization focused on helping people with genetic disorders and reducing the stigma surrounding these conditions. She hopes the organization will help people with genetic disorders recognize that they can pursue fulfilling lives and make meaningful contributions. “There’s space for everyone to make an impact,” she said.

Togun’s commitment to health advocacy was evident from early in her Fisk career. During her freshman year, she collaborated with Dr. Phyllis Freeman, associate professor of biology, Fisk University, and genetic counselors at Vanderbilt University to organize a genetic counseling session to educate students about genotypes. Togun was encouraged by the turnout and the students who told her they had learned something new.

Coming to Fisk from Nigeria, Togun wanted an historically Black college or university (HBCU) where she would feel connected to a strong Black community and experience a family-like campus environment. Fisk provided that atmosphere and introduced her to people who have supported her academic and personal growth.

Although she is not a first-generation college student, Togun is the first in her immediate family to pursue an education outside Nigeria. Her parents and older brother studied in Nigeria, and her family has encouraged her ambitions. She expects to graduate in May 2027.

She offers prospective students a message rooted in persistence: “Keep pushing. When you feel like giving up, it is honestly not an option.”

For Togun, the support of UNCF and the Goldman Sachs Market Madness Program has made her educational journey more manageable and gave her opportunities to grow her business skills. “I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to UNCF,” she said. “They’ve made life easier for me.”