Once a student in the Hank and Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholars Summer Research Institute, Oyinkan Ajasa has come full circle, returning this summer as a teaching assistant with years of study, community work, and teaching experience at her disposal.
“It feels surreal to be back in this space,” Ajasa says. “This program gave me a foundation. It challenged me to think critically, to ask deeper questions, and to see myself as part of something bigger. Being able to come back and support students the way I was once supported means a lot.”
After graduating for Durham School of the Arts, Ajasa recently completed her Master of Arts in Teaching at UNC Chapel Hill, just one year after graduating with her undergraduate degree in Political Science and a minor in African American and Diaspora Studies. In the fall, she will step into a classroom of her own as a first-grade teacher at Hillandale Elementary School.
During undergrad, Ajasa was involved with the African Student Organization, helping plan programs that connected Chapel Hill’s African diaspora communities. “We wanted to build community, to celebrate culture, and make sure people felt seen,” she says.
Making others feel seen runs through much of Ajasa’s work. As an intern for the Monet Richardson Community Foundation, she helped organize research and programs that support underserved communities across North Carolina. The organization, founded in memory of Monet Richardson, offers backpacks, scholarships, and resources to local students.
“I did a lot of research on the social determinants of health,” she says. “We were looking at what communities need beyond the classroom. That work helped me understand how layered inequity can be.
This summer, as a teaching assistant in the Young Scholars program, she interacted with students in the program that helped shape her. “These students are brilliant,” she says. “They have insights that are sharp and personal. I’m excited to help them dig into topics that matter to them and help guide their research.”
She recalls that the Young Scholars program was one of the first places that gave her a space to think deeply about those layers. “Being part of the program helped me see that research isn’t just academic, it’s personal. It’s about who you are and what you care about,” she says.
While she’s focused on her classroom this fall, Ajasa eventually hopes to pursue a doctorate in education and use her experience as a teacher to lead her future research. All of which she says was made possible by her time as a Young Scholar. “Research might not always be fun, but it opens doors,” she says. “I want students to leave knowing their voices matter and that what they learn here can help the communities they’re part of.”