Nigeria native and pre-med graduate grateful for staff who encouraged him to press on while pursuing his dreams

Editor’s Note: Throughout the summer, Liberty News will shine the spotlight on members of the Class of 2020 leading up to Liberty’s 47th Commencement on Sept. 11-12. As seniors, this class had the exciting privilege of leading Liberty into a new decade — and then met the challenge of completing their degree during a pandemic. Through it all, they have made us proud. They are marching onward as true Champions for Christ, entering their chosen fields equipped to be world-changers with a renewed hope for the future.

Congratulations Class of 2020! #LU2020 #LUGrads

The Liberty University biomedical sciences major listened to his parents’ voices on the other end of the phone as they questioned whether he was still desiring to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. It was his junior year and his grade-point average had dropped.

For Nigeria native Tolu Ogbonmide, school, sports, and socializing had always come easy. He cruised through high school as a standout on both the soccer and track teams and graduated as the valedictorian.

“It was during my time in high school that I realized that I wanted to become a physician,” said Ogbonmide, whose father is a pediatrician. “They can have so much of an impact on individuals as well as the overall public health in the community.”

He graduated high school in 2014 and decided to pursue some courses of personal interest while applying to colleges in America.

“My parents said that if I was going to go to America and end up in a place that they did not know very well, they wanted for it to be a Christian school,” Ogbonmide said. “I ended up just applying to two schools and both responded to me very quickly, which allowed me to make an informed decision.”

His SAT scores were high enough for him to receive a full scholarship from Liberty and, in the fall of 2015, Ogbonmide arrived on campus in Lynchburg, Va., as a member of the school’s international student population. Liberty’s student body, including residential and online,  represents over 80 countries.

“If there was a collegiate award given to the school that was the most helpful and welcoming to international students, Liberty would definitely receive it,” Ogbonmide said. “The International Student Center was so patient and kind to me.”

Ogbonmide said that in Nigeria, students are not afforded the luxury of electricity at all hours of the day, which pushed him to be disciplined in structuring his study time during the day. But while he passed his college freshman classes with ease in America, he failed to maintain his study habits as his courses only got more difficult.

“I hadn’t taken ownership of my dream yet,” he said of his first two years at Liberty. “I had always wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t really own that dream yet. It was still more of my parents saying, ‘You could go work at this hospital or go do this.’ When I got to Liberty, I was a little too excited about being in America, and I kind of lost sight of the fact that I was here to pursue an education.”

His complacency led to his GPA dropping below medical school application requirements.

“The summer after my junior year was a redefining time for me,” Ogbonmide said. “I realized that if I was going to finish school after the following year, my GPA would not even be good enough to apply for medical school.”

Ogbonmide told his parents that he still desired to be a doctor and made the commitment to remain at Liberty for two more years.

“There are some people who don’t bounce back from such a slip-up like the one I had,” he said. “That was something that Liberty really helped me with. In the last couple years, I moved back on campus and began to realize how good it was for me to attend Convocation and to become a CGL (community group leader, a member of Liberty’s Spiritual Development team). I’m very grateful for those opportunities that the school provided for me.”

Ogbonmide credits Liberty’s academic staff for playing a critical role in helping him rebound from his poor study habits.

“My professors helped me so much in different ways,” Ogbonmide said. “Some of them were generous enough to give out their cell phone numbers and they all would begin each class with prayer. I think that them putting the focus on Christ before we studied reminded me that doing so would help me in every area of my life.”

He is also grateful for the quality of Liberty’s pre-med program.

“The biomedical sciences program here is excellent,” Ogbonmide said. “A lot of schools only have either a biology major or a chemistry major. The department is growing and our faculty are top-notch people who are well thought of in the scientific community.”

The Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Med) program at Liberty University is designed to prepare students for medical school, pharmacy school, dental school, physician assistant school, and related medical fields.

Ogbonmide is waiting to hear back from two medical schools regarding his applications, a process that has been delayed due to COVID-19, he said. He is also contemplating pursuing a master’s degree before medical school.

“I’m very grateful for my time here at Liberty,” he said. “It has helped me to become what I am, and that has been such a blessing.”