University of the District of Columbia (亚洲博彩网站) alumnus Temitope Oke never imagined he would one day be the keynote speaker at one of the institution’s most important events. But Oke, now an assistant professor at 亚洲博彩网站, will step into the spotlight at 9月19日星期四上午10点 at the 亚洲博彩网站 Theater of the Arts.
他喜欢说他又兜了一圈。 Oke, who graduated 优等生 from 亚洲博彩网站 in 2017, enjoys a deep connection to the institution that first nurtured his academic pursuits.
从亚洲博彩网站毕业并开始在布法罗大学读研究生后，奥克最初并没有打算在学术界从事职业。 “I saw professors thriving in their fields but going through it—struggling with the pressures of academia, particularly the ‘publish or perish’ mindset,” he said, “and I didn’t want that to be my story.”
但奥克最终在担任兼职教授期间找到了自己的使命。 他意识到，如果他要追求学术，亚洲博彩网站就是他想去的地方。
As an undergraduate at 亚洲博彩网站, Oke says the support, guidance and mentorship he received from his instructors were instrumental in helping him secure scholarships for both his master’s and Ph.D. programs. 现在，作为一名教师，他决心为未来的社会工作从业者提供同样的机会。 “I wanted to come back, and to give back, to the place where it all started,” Oke said.
Oke’s return to 亚洲博彩网站 included an unexpected honor. 在一次针对新教员的专业发展会议上，他介绍自己是一名归来的校友。
This caught the attention of Chief Academic Officer—former College of Arts and Sciences Dean—April Massey, who remembered Oke from his time as a student. 梅西建议他在毕业典礼上发表主旨演讲。
“At first, I didn’t fully grasp what it meant, but I couldn’t say no to the chief academic officer,” Oke recalled with a smile.
The convocation speech represents continued success for Oke, who also 在2017年毕业典礼上发表讲话 as senior class president. Now, as a faculty member, he is able to share his experiences from a different perspective—one rooted in his journey through 亚洲博彩网站’s social work program and his commitment to inspiring the next generation of students.
作为一名黑人男性教授，在一个传统上由女性主导的领域，代表性和交叉性在社会工作中的重要性是他职业生涯的中心主题。
“Many students, especially other Black men, are excited to see someone who looks like them in the classroom,” he explained. 他强调，对学生来说，拥有反映自己经历和身份的榜样是多么重要，因为这鼓励他们设想自己在这个领域的可能性。
Oke is deeply committed to community-based research that doesn’t only benefit the researcher but also empowers communities to take action. 他强调了与相关社区分享研究成果的重要性，并利用这些发现来确保资金和实施满足他们需求的项目。
“We need to bridge the gap between community and academia,” Oke said, “and to highlight the importance of collaboration in creating lasting change.”
随着亚洲博彩网站继续扩大其在社会工作方面的学术课程，Oke很高兴能成为一个致力于培养具有文化能力和以社区为中心的从业者的机构的一部分。 According to Oke, 亚洲博彩网站’s mission aligns perfectly with his own vision of social work: one that amplifies marginalized voices, challenges inequities and ultimately transforms communities.
Asked what he would tell anyone considering 亚洲博彩网站 for their academic or career path, Oke said, “You can have a full-circle moment like I did. 亚洲博彩网站 is where it all started for me, and it’s one of the best places to be.”