Name: Morenike Ibidapo
H.S. Grad Year: Class of 2016
High School: Westlake High School
College: Vanderbilt University (2020)
Current Role: Product Owner; Claims and Payment Presentment, UnitedHealthcare
How has your career unfolded and how did participating in 21CL help prepare you for your next steps going to college, taking on a new leadership role in community/college and after?
Since participating in 21st Century Leaders, I’ve graduated from college, begun my career in healthcare operations, opened a cosmetics business, and earned a master’s degree in business administration. 21st Century Leaders prepared me for a fulfilling academic and professional career by exposing me to new spaces outside my comfort zone and connecting me with people who made those spaces feel welcoming. Through 21CL’s dynamic programming at the summer institutes, I learned that mentorship and networking can support me in achieving any goal I set out to achieve.
What’s your memorable or ‘aha’ moment during your time at 21CL? (a particular program, meeting a professional and diverse peer, speaking in public for the first time, etc.)
I had an ‘Aha!’ moment while I was at the Media Institute in 2015 when throughout the institute, we met with many industry professionals who shared their paths to getting where they were at the time. Prior to that experience, I thought becoming a news anchor or reporter was similar to becoming a supermodel from a mall casting – it just happened if you were lucky enough. I did not understand what it took to get into journalism, nor did I truly understand how everyone worked their way into the industry. At one point, students were invited to sit behind a news desk at Turner Broadcasting, and this is when it clicked for me. Participating in programs like 21st Century Leaders is how you figure out what you want in your career. From then on, I made sure to look into similar enrichment programs and search the career fields I was interested in to see if that was a career I wanted to pursue and build connections with those already in the field.
Did 21CL help you develop a leadership style that makes you an effective leader? If so, how?
21st Century Leaders helped me cultivate what servant leadership in action looks like outside of a business framework. Outside the office, servant leadership means leading by doing what you can to help those around you get what they need. 21st Century Leaders showed me that this type of leadership can be delivered through serving others in mentorship and networking. Mentorship and networking with the next generation are how industry is maintained over time, and how young dreams are nurtured into fruition. 21st Century Leaders showed me how significant and rewarding it can be to give back to others in the same way, or more than, what has been poured into you.
Why do you believe programs like 21CL are important? And what advice would you give to a current or future student?
Programs like 21st Century Leaders are so important because they provide students with exposure they might not otherwise receive. They get the opportunity to gain insight into career fields that can seem daunting to break into. Students get to meet and interact with peers from other parts of the state and to learn about college life. My high school did not provide short-term opportunities to learn about new industries in this way, so my high school experience would not have been the same without 21st Century Leaders. My advice to all students is to always be on the lookout for enrichment opportunities like 21st Century Leaders. The programs can supplement your education and help you identify your next steps and provide you with assistance to complete them.
