Olaoluwayimika Olugbenle ‘25, a computer engineering major from Ogun, Nigeria, has been selected to be part of the first-ever cohort of 100 Rise Global winners.
According to its website, Rise is a program that finds brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others. The program starts at ages 15–17 and offers a lifetime of benefits including scholarships, mentorship, access to career development opportunities, funding, and more as Global Winners work toward solving humanity’s most pressing problems.
As part of his award, Olugbenle will receive a scholarship covering the full cost of his education, as well as other benefits to help further his goals, such as access to personal business funding.
“Rise provides the next generation of leaders with the funding they need to solve hard problems in science and society. This is exactly what I aim to do,” Olugbenle said. “Soon, I aim to start a company that has the aim of improving the methods and standards of living of others across the world with a focus on developing nations. This could range anywhere between innovating ways to implement the use of robotics in the most rural of communities, to improving the efficiency of already made designs in the developed world.”
Olugbenle recognizes the investment that is being made to support him and his goals. Now, he says, it is time to use this support to make the world a better place.
“A deeper feeling of responsibility comes with the award, and it also feels very humbling to know that the current generation of leaders are handing over the baton to the next generation of leaders to improve the way we live our lives,” he said. “Furthermore, it is also exciting to know that there are many other people who have the same vision for global development and are willing to work together to make it come to reality.”
For more information about Rise, visit www.risefortheworld.org.
