Across Borders with Omotolani Adunni

Across borders is an interview series featuring the success stories of Africans in the diaspora. Each time, we’re going to explore their journey and how they are navigating the world in different ways as a mirror of the Africa we want.

Omotolani always knew she wanted a world-class education, even while attending public school in Nigeria. In this story, she shares how she’s now living that dream as a double major at Stanford University on a full-ride scholarship. From content creation to media psychology research, she’s carving a path that bridges academics, storytelling, and purpose, all while staying true to her roots and faith.

You have pretty names. Is there a story there? 

OMOTOLANI ADUNNI.

I am of the Yoruba tribe, as my name suggests, and it’s customary in Yoruba households for each side of the family to give you a name. I have eight names in total but Omotolani is my first and I got it from my maternal grandmother. She also named me Adunni, a traditional name that every Yoruba child gets at birth. She says that it is a panegyric/ eulogy traditional name  called “Oriki” so it is distinct from my first name “Omotolani,” which is also considered a traditional name

Interesting. We noticed that your LinkedIn profile carries your surname, Azeez, why your other platforms don't. Why?

That’s intentional. I’m creating a digital identity. “Omotolani Azeez” is my academic self; “Omotolani Adunni” is my creative and digital voice. It helps me show up differently depending on the space I am in. 

When did you start your content creator journey? 

Technically, 2019, when I started my YouTube channel. I have always loved YouTube; it’s one of my main platforms. Then I branched into Instagram reels in 2020, and eventually TikTok in 2022 when I started College. Each platform had its own beginning, but it was in 2022 that I really aligned everything into a unified brand. If I had to pick an official date, I’d say 2022. 

Let’s talk about your academics. How did you get into Stanford? 

I attended Junior Secondary School in Nigeria. Right from when I was in JSS1 at the time, I had always joked about leaving Nigeria and going abroad to continue my education. Then, I didn't know how it was going to happen, but I was so determined and God came through for me. I moved to the United States at age 12. My dream was to go to Harvard like most Nigerian children but I had a competition in speech and debate in my second year of high school and actually did not like the campus so my Harvard dream was gone. 

However, I still wanted to get into a top school and I gave myself no other option. Here in America, we have safety, target and dream schools. I have always been an A+ student and I was confident my GPA could get me into a dream school. In addition, I did a lot of extracurricular activities in high school and served in several leadership positions. I was in every role you can ever think of. I even co-founded the journalism club in my school. My initial goal was to become a neurosurgeon but I love mass communication. 

I applied to Stanford University after high school because it was a top school for communications and media and I was the first in the history of my school to be admitted to Stanford. I strongly believe that the excellence I have on my GPA, my unique story coupled with God’s grace got me the admission. 

So what course are you studying at Stanford? 

I am a double major in  psychology and communication. My research interest is media psychology. 

What was that thing that stood out for you during that process of you saying that yes, this is the school I want to go into.

I am going to burst your bubble. I applied to 13 schools. In America, you can apply to any amount of school you want. My high school was in a predominantly black neighborhood and because we are not funded quite well, I had to apply to multiple schools. Think of it like a poor community with underfunded schools. Interestingly, Stanford wasn’t part of my top schools. It was just my dream school, something that would really count if I get admitted.   

My dream school was Columbia but I wasn’t offered admission. I got the rejection from Columbia and acceptance from Stanford on the same day. Meanwhile, I got into Dartmouth and Spelman and was waitlisted for Northwestern (and got accepted into other schools on my list). Afterwards, I visited Stanford on admit weekend, an event in spring for students that have been admitted into the University to have a feel of the campus. Then and then, I fell in love with Stanford at first sight. I was walking into the campus and I was certain this is where I belong. This is meant for me.

Do you ever wish you had taken another career path other than this?

It’s a yes, but not an all-the-way “yes”. I am super confident in my current major, although I have changed my major about three times since getting to Stanford. Due to my interest in Communication, I have always considered myself a mass communication girl, though. My mom was a journalist in Nigeria, and my sister studied mass communication too. My house was

pretty art. As a result, I knew I would choose something from that arena, but I still wish I had shown interest in psychology earlier. The only part of it, why my answer is not a full “yes” is that the African child in me that has internalized the African pressure to be a Doctor, Engineer, or Lawyer is still alive in me somehow. 

Does creating contents tie back into what you’re studying in school in any way? 

Yes, communication. Stanford has two setups: the journalism & media track. I am in the media track, and content does really tie into it. The marketing side of the technicality behind content is what my major is in. And now, because I am focused on media psychology, where we get to talk more about different affordances of social media, it’s directly related to content creation, and I enjoy it because we do a lot of studies on the effects of social media on people. It’s a relatively new field, which is why I am trying to be a notable voice in the field (media psychology). Essentially, that’s how it ties into it. It’s very ironic because when my professor finds out that I do content creation, a part of me still feels I am creating content for digital doom scroll.” 

How do you balance creating content with studying? 

I don’t, I don’t balance it. Which is why I am still not consistent in creating these contents. On my Instagram, for instance, I don’t post frequently but because TikTok is a different space, the in-built editing tools on the app makes it easier for me to use seamlessly. To answer more directly, I don’t have a good balance of academics and content creation. For me, academics will always come first. I am not bothered if people don’t see my posts frequently. My community already understands that I am a student and they often check up on me to know how I am fairing. I am not one of those content creators that creates content everyday. 

Do you make a living out of creating content?

At first, I was just creating content for pleasure. The earning is about to start coming in now. I have gotten some bookings this summer. Previously, it was never a source of income. It was purely based on passion. 

What are you working toward next?

Academically, I’m trying to elevate the field of media psychology. It’s still emerging, but it sits at the intersection of AI, tech, media, and mental health and these are all areas we desperately need to understand better. I want to pursue a graduate degree in it, hopefully at the University of Chicago, one of the top schools for the field.

Content-wise, I want to weave more of that media psychology into what I create. There’s so much misinformation and panic around social media’s effects, especially on kids. But if people understood the psychology behind these platforms, we’d have healthier digital habits.

A Nepo or Lapo kid? 

Guys, I am a lapo kid o. I ain’t nepo at all. I see myself as an initial lapo baby that has the resources of nepo babies. I am considered a low-income student here in Stanford and they pay my school fees. As a black student, I am never on the same level with the majority. Students like me need to work harder. That is, we need to work ten times harder to be in the room with other kids. I will always have to prove myself, prove my qualifications always. 

From a Nigerian perspective, people think I am a nepo baby but that’s not the case sincerely. I am on a full need-based scholarship and that’s essentially targeted at students from low-income backgrounds. Back in Nigeria, I attended a public school throughout and I literally had to work very hard to get here. 

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‎What are the things most people assume about you, but aren't exactly true?

‎People usually assume that I am either a nursing or law student and I am not. People also assume that I grew up in America. I think it’s because when I speak, my accent shows that I have been here for a long time and as a result,  they assume I was born here. I migrated here. I did high school here and now in Stanford, people think I am an international student but I am not.

An unconventional stance/hill you’re ready to die on or fight for no matter what. 

I have a couple. I came prepared. First, I would never agree to secularism that is on the rise on social media right now. People misusing the word “woke” as a way of not believing in God is something I would never condone. I would always be a believer. I am a Christian baby girl. The rejection of God because human beings want to have full autonomy of what the world is and want to have a human explanation of everything is prideful of us and that would be our downfall. I will die on the belief that God is real whether you believe me or not! it’s your belief. It doesn’t change God being God. 

I grew up in an African home where belief in God is a core part of my upbringing. However, in this part of the world that I am, the word “God” is not even being used a lot. Many times, I have to fight that. Here, people use the “universe” as a replacement for God. 

‎I will also die on the hill that if you grew up in West Africa most especially, you were raised with misogyny that then breaks down to sexism and it takes serious work to unlearn that. Even those that are educated make that mistake and it goes for both genders. My personal statement to Stanford was on sexism because again I was raised in a world that majorly taught gender roles in classrooms. Growing up, I was made to accept things like a woman is expected to end up in her husband’s house. Overall, I believe that every West African has misogyny in them and again it takes serious work to unlearn those things. However, we don’t acknowledge this as a challenge and that is why many of these beliefs manifest in places they shouldn’t ideally.

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‎‎What’s something you would have done differently now that you’re in the Diaspora?

I am pretty confident in my life path. Everything that I wished was different is out of my control. Like existential crises, family issues that I had no power to change. In Nigeria, I am a straight A+ student and I did everything you could think of. I balanced being an outstanding student and having fun, for instance. 

I am a goal getter. I go for anything I wish. In Ibadan then, Alayande was a Science school and I wanted to go there. I applied and I got in but I moved to America not quite long. I question authority when I want to question authority too and I don’t regret it. For instance, I wanted to be Head girl back then in Nigeria but the Vice-Principal of my school hated my life and didn’t want me to be. I was bullied for being a smart student. Thus, I wouldn’t say I was not smart. I was also the child of a teacher and that also had a stigma that I have to be excellent at what I do. I stood up for myself too. I always speak for myself. 

What's your advice for anyone who is following this path that you're taking?

The core of my advice would be being grounded in yourself. You need to know who you are, especially when you’re coming from an African household where you’re being told what to do. All our lives we are being told what we are, and what our parents want us to be compared to what we want for ourselves. You need to ask yourself hard questions about what you want to do to be sure you’re not doing it to please others. 

You need to know why you’re creating content. As I mentioned earlier, I had a preference for YouTube agrowing up. I have always wanted to share my story. Additionally, you need to believe in yourself; set personal goals  and chase them religiously. Know the reason you are chasing these goals but if you are a people pleaser, you might likely blame yourself in a few years from now. 

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