Omotola Akinsola

Omotola is one of the most positive and encouraging individuals you would ever meet. Her zeal and dedication to social justice, social change, service and leadership makes her shine in all she set out to do. Her hope is to help others, especially young people help themselves and be all they can possibly be. Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, Omotola is a forward thinker and an agent of change who has come a long way because of her outstanding passion for civic engagement. She is the founder of JumpStart Academy, an innovative, decentralized leadership academy in Nigeria

In 2012, she was named as one of the recipients of Who’s Who Among American Colleges & Universities Students. She was awarded the 2012 ‘Outstanding Social Work Student of the Year’ and was inducted into the Circle of Influence for Student Leaders by the Leadership Institute at Columbia College, South Carolina. She served as a Congressional Fellow on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC in the office of Sen. Boozman.

Omotola is currently a Master Candidate at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a double minor in Leadership Studies and Psychology from Columbia College. She serve on the Advisory Board for The F.A.I.T.H Initiative , a youth-led nonprofit organisation in Nigeria and an ambassador for Young Woman’s Guide, an organisation dedicated to the growth, mentoring, and education of young girls.

During her undergraduate years, she served on the Columbia College Service Council, the Columbia College Judiciary Board, the Diversity Committee and was a Global Studies Scholar for the Multicultural Affairs and Community Resources Office at Columbia College. She is a national member of the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She is also a member and a researcher for the American Model United Nations.

Omotola is a woman with a vision, on a mission to bring about effective and lasting changes not only in the social welfare sector but also in the education sector. Her mission is to help the helpless, give hope to the hopeless, encourage the weary, inspire the young, motivate and empower the downtrodden and challenge people to do more than just complain. Her ultimate goal is to persistently work towards making the impossible possible. Come aboard and be part of the solutions with her.

One of her favorite quote is: “Go where you are needed, not where it is easiest”-anon.