Oluwadamilola Obalana: Taking public health out of the classroom

Olwanmilola Obalana, MS ’24 (PH), grew up in Nigeria and frequently visited her paternal grandmother’s clinic. As a young child, all she could do was run around and observe. But it was her grandmother's meticulous care of her patients that sparked Obalana's interest in the medical field. She earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology and in her last semester she took an introductory public health class. Her world opened up to her and she realized that she did not want to treat her patients. She wanted to prevent them from getting sick in the first place.

After graduation, Obalana began classes at BYU-Pathways and eventually transferred to BYU. Doors started opening for her within a year. Her friends offered her work designing health curriculum for a nonprofit organization in Uganda and working on a humanitarian project in Nigeria, pushing her further into her field of public health. “I try to think of everything I study not just as studying, but as the people I am trying to help: other children of God,” Obalana says.

Building a community network

Studying in Provo wasn't always easy, and adjusting to a vastly different culture and education system took time. But Obalana found joy in building community. “I'm the type of person who likes interacting with people. [In my cohort,] We don't just think of ourselves as classmates, we're more like a family…Find your allies,'' Obalana advises. Outside of her classes, she found that she could “participate in activities on her campus and get to know people from her own country.” [and other] People of color made me feel less alone at BYU. ”

Several professors strengthened Obalana's mentorship network by connecting her with experts and scholars outside BYU. “[My study focus] It wasn’t something I came up with overnight,” says Obalana. “I talked to a lot of professors. Then I compared them. [their interests] talking to them helped me [clearly define my goals and] I would like to obtain a Ph.D. ” Through their guidance, Obalana earned a certificate in global health and epidemiology with a focus on maternal and child health research.

outside the classroom

Obalana actively seizes opportunities when they arise. A guest lecture from the Utah Society for Public Health Education (USOPHE) was her gateway to a student board position. In this role, she organized networking events for students and established student advisory boards for multiple universities. “I told myself I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and push myself,” she recalls. “There is so much I can do to help those around me and impact the world at large, and it starts with my community.”

Attending conferences is also a big part of Obalana’s graduate experience. She interned with the State Department, attending the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists conference, the American Public Health Association conference, and traveled to Canada for the International Leadership Association conference. Additionally, she presented her lab's VeggiMeter, a device that measures her fruit and vegetable intake without using blood samples, at her SOPHE annual conference. Obalana's lab is trying to standardize the device in hospitals and clinics so medical professionals can measure nutrition without drawing blood from needle-averse individuals, especially children.

Opportunities like this are very important to Obalana, who wants to apply his research outside of the classroom. “Professors have an academic side; [these experiences] It helped me gain more industry perspective,” she says. “By attending these conferences, I was able to meet experts from other areas of public health, and I still keep in touch with many of them. They always send me opportunities. [they] think [I] I want to. “

guided by god

Despite the support she receives here, it initially felt like the world was trying to push her away from her master's program. Obalana arrived in Provo the day before orientation and discovered that her housing contract was sold out. She sought help from Pathways missionaries and former MTC mission leaders, who were able to provide her with temporary housing until she could find another apartment.

Obalana could have given up on the first day, but he decided to stick with his plan. “Sometimes you have to do something for no reason. The Lord is asking you to do something, so you just have to do it,” she muses. “I didn’t come here just because I wanted to be here, I came here because the Lord felt I needed to be here at this time. [He] He will make a way for me. ”

Following her grandmother's example, Obalana heard the voice of God and found the strength to leave her country and follow her passion. Now she has started her doctoral program and is eagerly looking forward to further researching her maternal and child health.