Student Spotlight: Bodunrin Akinrinmade

Program: Education Policy & Evaluation Ph.D.

Hometown: Ondo West, Ondo State, Nigeria

When did you first discover your passion for Education Policy and Evaluation?

In high school, I read about how Nigerian legends: Obafemi Awolowo, Augustus Taiwo Solarin and Nnamdi Azikwe transformed the lives of countless Nigerians through education, and this spurred me to think about how education can play a better and critical role in the development of Nigeria and other developing nations. After embarking on few educational projects, it became clear to me, in a more practical way, the huge role education can play in improving the lives of people. This inspired me to continuously attend and organize educational programs for the youths in my community.

When I was an undergraduate student in Educational Management at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, I read about the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), now the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 2 of the MDGs discussed the exigent need for children around the world, especially in developing nations, to have access to quality basic education and acquire basic skills necessary for work and life. This inspired me to embark on a project which involved providing learning materials for pupils and giving prizes to pupils with excellent academic performance. The positive impact of this project on students, coupled with the smiles on their faces, remains one of the most fulfilling achievements for me.

As a result, I got inspired to embark on a master’s degree program in Educational Management, with a specialization in economics of education, to acquire more knowledge about policies and programs. I took a step further to do a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation with a special focus on improving educational access, learning outcomes, and school completion rates of children in developing countries. My Ph.D. program has enabled me to acquire high-quality research knowledge and skills which will be useful for developing evidence-backed interventions. These interventions could improve the quality of basic education for children around the world, especially in developing countries.

Tell us about a memorable experience you’ve had so far at FSU

On a beautiful Thursday morning in Spring 2022, I received an email that I got the highly competitive College of Education (COE) International Travel Scholarship worth $5000. I was so ecstatic, and I informed my professors. My professors were quick to congratulate and encourage me to work harder to do my fieldwork and finish my dissertation strongly. Initially, I applied to seven scholarships to support my Ph.D. research, but five of the applications were rejected. For the 6th application, I got a $600 dissertation research grant from Graduate School, which was not enough to cover my travel expenses. Getting the $5000 COE travel scholarship was a memorable experience that I have had so far at FSU, as it helped to support my research.

What made you choose FSU for your degree?

My burning passion to improve the quality of basic education in the world, especially in developing countries, inspired me to apply to Florida State University. I was excited to learn from world-class faculty members in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies , especially Dr. Stephanie Zuilkowski, who has conducted and published groundbreaking empirical studies that aim to improve the quality of basic education in developing countries and in the United States.

What would you like to do after graduation?

My career goal is to work for an international organization that is developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions that will improve children’s educational access, learning outcomes, and school completion rates. After my graduation, I want to work with an international organization as a senior researcher, project or program evaluator, or education policy analyst. Alternatively, I would like to work at a college in the U.S.A. as a professor of Education Policy and Evaluation, focusing on improving educational access, learning outcomes, and school completion rates of children around the world.

What is your favorite part of the Education Policy & Evaluation program?

Learning how to conduct policy analysis and evaluate programs is my favorite part of the Education Policy and Evaluation program. I remember I was taught how policy analysts assess policy alternatives’ ability to solve an educational issue. In addition, I had the opportunity to learn about different approaches that could be used to evaluate education programs. All these made me see how education policy analysts help the government evaluate policy alternatives that could most likely be used to solve educational issues and how program evaluators help the government assess programs’ outcomes. After taking policy analysis and program evaluation classes with other relevant classes, I feel prepared to be an education policy analyst or education program evaluator in the education sector.

What advice would you give someone interested in studying Education Policy & Evaluation?

I would suggest that anyone who wants to study Education Policy and Evaluation should check the department’s website for admission requirements. They should ensure they have qualifications, test scores, and supporting documents that could make them meet or surpass minimum requirements. Additionally, the individual should read the degree requirements to know about funding opportunities, the courses offered, the number of credit hours they need to do to graduate from the program, and so on. Furthermore, the individual, especially the person who wants to do a Ph.D. program, should read about the faculty profile to know the professor with whom he/she has similar research interests and is willing to work with. Also, once the individual applies and gets into the program, he/she should be ready to work hard, pass through the program’s rigor, and persevere, irrespective of the challenges. Finally, I would advise anyone who wants to pursue a graduate program in Education Policy and Evaluation to engage in campus activities to unwind from the stress of the rigorous graduate program.