Contact:
Leah Seupersad, 404-413-1354
University Relations
 |
| Michael Oloyede is an officer in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., on the advisory board for The 1913 Society and has served as president of Infinite Appeal, a community service organization that helps young professionals find success in the fashion industry. |
Growing up in suburban New Jersey, Michael Oloyede spent much of his time visiting family and friends in bustling New York City.
“Being there was an inspiration for me. I dreamed of one day working there,” Oloyede says.
“My parents made me realize that I could do anything I wanted,” Oloyede said. “They said that just because they hadn’t gone to college, I could do better.”
By all accounts, he’s doing just fine. Now a junior majoring in business, Oloyede holds leadership positions in a list of campus and community organizations – he’s an officer in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., on the advisory board for The 1913 Society and has served as president of Infinite Appeal, a community service organization that helps young professionals realize success in the fashion industry.
In that role, Oloyede produced a fashion show last year in the GSU Sports Arena that featured 50 professional and aspiring models and attracted more than 1,200 guests. He and two dozen students handled all the logistics and required little supervision.
“He’s just an all-around model student,” said Carole Golder, associate director of the Student University Center, who oversees the Spotlight Programs Board.
Oloyede says he’s come a long way from being the shy kid on the block back in New Jersey. Back then, he dreamed of going to New York University. When his family moved to metro Atlanta during his sophomore year in high school, he took a tour of GSU “and fell in love.” Two years later, Oloyede applied to and was accepted to NYU, but it was too late: His heart was set on Georgia State.
“It was the perfect fit for me,” he said.
Last summer, Oloyede was among 90 U.S. college students chosen to intern at Macy’s headquarters in Manhattan. More than 10,000 applied. Despite his busy work and school schedule, Oloyede makes good grades and maintains the Hope Scholarship.
These days, Oloyede said he sees his reflection in the weary eyes of the freshmen who occasionally seek his upper-classman counsel. “I was them just a few years ago,” Oloyede said. “I’ve grown so much being here. I’ve learned that I can do anything I set out to do.”
Oct. 10, 2011