Recent alumna from the management information systems master’s program, Ifeoluwa “Ife” O. Popoola, M.S.’16, established a scholarship designed to support international graduate students at Hood. When asked what inspired her to create the Ifeoluwa Popoola scholarship, she cited that hard work should be rewarded. “I believe that hard work and diligence should be recognized. Since there are few scholarship opportunities for international students, I hope this scholarship will attract more qualified, diligent students from abroad.”

Ife is originally from Nigeria and progressed rapidly and successfully in our MIS program, earning the Outstanding MIS Student Award in 2016. Ife initially chose Hood College for her graduate degree because of the rigorous structure of the program, which is designed to train students in both IT and business. When she began the program, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that “Hood culture is one that fosters collaboration and innovation, facilitated by a committed and accessible faculty. That Hood style has equipped me for collaboration with my current team and has improved my problem-solving skills, as a cloud infrastructure engineer in D.C.”

Ultimately, Ife aspires to become a chief information and innovation officer, a role in which she can be a change agent and influence people for the efficient application of IT tools that positively impact our world. She is well on her way to that goal, as her stellar performance has resulted in her current employer converting her student visa to a work visa, which is an important step allowing her to achieve her career goals.