“We made it!”
St. Cloud State University nursing student Ire Oyinlade joyously proclaimed those words during his commencement speech on May 9, where he joined over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students in walking across the stage and receiving his diploma.
“What a beautiful day to be a Husky; I’d like to speak from the heart, because like many of you here, my journey wasn’t easy,” Oyinlade began his speech.
When he first started as a student, Oyinlade was only experiencing SCSU through a screen over 6,000 miles away in his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.
Oyinlade had originally planned to study dentistry in Nigeria, but with local universities closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oyinlade began to seek opportunities abroad for his education. He applied to schools in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
He was searching for a school strong in a healthcare field, and he landed on SCSU.
“They had a good reputation for nursing and academic excellence; I was looking for a school that offered a supportive community,” Oyinlade said.
He began a full course load online in August of 2020, and five months later he arrived in Minnesota to live on campus.
It didn’t take long to have the common feeling of loneliness hit him in a new country.
“I was new and didn’t know who to talk to; that was a struggle the very first semester,” he recalled.
But one factor quickly changed his trajectory at SCSU: Getting involved on campus.
Student Leader
It began with the SCSU chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), where he was invited to take part in a trivia event.
“I won some gifts and prizes, so I said, ‘I’m going to keep showing up, using this as great inspiration for me to receive more in the future,’” Oyinlade recalled with a laugh.
He would go on to serve as a spokesperson for the SCSU chapter as a national communications coordinator at the NRHH national conferences, training delegates and creating educational materials.
Oyinlade also became involved in residential life as a front desk assistant in Case-Hill Hall, later becoming a community advisor.
“During the summer I got to manage all the (residential) buildings on campus, and we had conferences and camps,” Oyinlade said. “Last year we received some visitors from the office of the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan in partnership with Education USA. I got to host them on behalf of the Center for International Studies.”
He has also served as a senator in SCSU’s Student Government Association (SGA), focusing on issues like student fees and compensation and aiding student-focused resources like the Huskies Food Pantry.
All of these roles on campus led him to SCSU’s award-winning HuskiesAdvance program. While usually the program aims to match students with mentors on campus that can help them achieve their goals or find ways to get involved, Oyinlade had a different experience.
Since he’d already been involved in so many areas of campus, he instead used the program to reflect on his experiences and see where he could improve in leadership areas.
He was paired with mentor Peggy Sarnicki, who is the director of HuskiesAdvance. She said a sign of a leader is someone who others respect and seek out.
“Wherever he goes, others are attracted to Ire’s welcoming personality and natural inclination to offer support,” Sarnicki said. “Seeing in others what they don’t see in themselves, he intentionally demonstrates that he is at his best when helping those who cross his path to live their best life.”
Oyinlade displayed leadership as an orientation leader and international ambassador for SCSU, getting the chance to tell new and future Huskies about the supportive community he has experienced and SCSU’s commitment to student leadership and growth.
He also had the opportunity to emcee a high-profile campus event featuring global speaker Maha Abouelenein, a renowned communications expert who helped launch Netflix in the United Arab Emirates.
Selected for his ability to engage diverse audiences and represent SCSU with professionalism, he hosted Maha’s visit during her national book tour for “7 Rules of Self-Reliance.” As emcee, Oyinlade led a meaningful public dialogue and energized student participation as Maha shared insights from her three-decade global career.
It was no surprise when he earned one of SCSU’s prestigious Excellence in Leadership awards in the spring.
What’s Next?
While there are few students more involved in campus life than Oyinlade over the past four years, he also has a passion for serving beyond the campus community.
And that’s where his degree fits in perfectly.
“Nursing is about involvement in the community … being part of the nursing club has been a great way to get involved.”
Whether it is fundraising, outreach, blood drives or clinical hours, Oyinlade loves giving back. He has especially enjoyed going to underserved communities in northern and central Minnesota to help provide services like vaccinations, health and eye screenings at schools or home visits and evaluations for medical clients.
“My goal is to become a registered nurse either in an intensive care unit or in a float pool,” he said. “SCSU has prepared me for this through rigorous clinical experiences, leadership roles on campus and mentorship that has helped me grow professionally and personally.”
Oyinlade shared that he doesn’t consider his education complete until he has gained meaningful hands-on clinical and research experiences that will help shape his long-term purpose. He aspires to pursue advanced education, whether as a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), a PhD in nursing, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) or by attending medical school.
With a deep passion for clinical research, Oyinlade broke new ground as the first undergraduate student selected for a role typically reserved for graduate students—serving as a Microbiology Lab Coordinator and Teaching Assistant. He also conducted an evidence-based practice research study focused on reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), as well as improving nebulizer treatment therapies and education for nurses. These experiences, he believes, are essential steps toward his goal of advancing clinical practice, contributing to nursing science and leading in healthcare at the highest level.
“I am confident he will quickly be sought out to train new nurses, lead in implementing new techniques and processes and champion innovation in his nursing practice,” Sarnicki added. “As he moves to the next phase of his personal life and professional career, he will continue to benefit those who are naturally drawn to his welcoming spirit, commitment to learning and intentional goal of enhancing the lives of those he encounters.”
And after his four years at SCSU, Oyinlade also feels he is ready to tackle whatever lies ahead.
“I have so much to offer, not just in healthcare, but in so many different dimensions of my life,” he said. “I belong in every room I walk into. Not just to participate, but to lead and make an impact.”
