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Aman Chopra- Folks, welcome back to another episode of the "I Am GPH Podcast". Today we have someone really unique and special and someone that brands GPH to her core. We have Toluwalase Akinluyi and most people know her as LA, which is what I'm gonna be referring to her throughout the interview. She started out as a physiotherapist, but then made a leap into public health and now she's making big moves in the world of healthcare policy and occupational health. She's currently getting her master's of public health here at NYU, where she's also the vice president of the African Graduate Student Association, which we're gonna ask her a lot about. On top of all of that, she's a poet, a mentor, and just an all around powerhouse that exemplifies GPH to its core. We're gonna talk about her journey and what it's like to navigate NYU here as an international student and how she's using her skills and how LA has made a real impact. Welcome to the show.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Thank you so much,
Aman Chopra- Toluwalase AKA LA.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Thank you. That was such a great introduction. I was like, that's me. But yeah, thank you. So good to be here.
Aman Chopra- That is, that is indeed a great intro and I was deciding what I can remove. 'Cause you have done so much, so many things and I'm sure you have a lot more to contribute and share with us. The thing that I'm most intrigued by, everyone has a different public health journey that brings them to the school. You started in the world of physiotherapy back in Nigeria. Can you tell me how that journey started and how did you even get into that world?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah, that's a deep one. A deep, long one. So as petty as this might sound, I saw a movie when I was only 13 and this movie had to do with a physical therapist who was like a personal trainer and physio to a basketball star. And then he had an injury, but then she came in, he thought like his life was over, his career was over, but with physiotherapy he had rehabilitation and went back to get his medals as a star. So I was like, yes, I definitely want this kind of impactful-
Aman Chopra- Wow.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Impactful career. And somewhere in my head as a little girl, I was also like, I like the end, which is the fact that they ended up happily ever after, getting married. And it was so beautiful. I was like, so you know, I just might do this profession and be in the same head space. So I just made up my mind to go for physical therapy. That's why I said myself very petty. So I went to Nigeria's Primary University, studied physiotherapy. It was such a great experience, I'll be very honest, shout out to my professors. It was a good one. But then I worked for some years and that's where the evolution came. So I worked for about three to four years and I figured that I didn't just want to treat symptoms or like one patient at a time. I wanted to do more. I wanted to be able to address root causes, to be able to advocate for population's health. There were times that I would see certain patients and be like, you didn't have to be my patient in the first place if like certain things were put in place or if you were educated about certain things about your health, about how you work, how you eat. Just these things that people need to know. So I decided, yeah, it's probably a right time to evolve and transition into public health. But at the core, my clinical practice has been so helpful with balancing like that clinical mindset and also like this advocacy side in public health, policy and healthcare management.
Aman Chopra- Did you meet anyone that had also watched the movie in your journey of becoming a physiotherapist, was-
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Interestingly no. But I did tell a number of people and they're like, oh yeah, we know that movie. But I guess people were rather intrigued by the storyline.
Aman Chopra- Yeah.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- And didn't necessarily pick out the profession from it. So, but for me, I don't know why the profession stood out for me. So I was like, yay,
Aman Chopra- That is a very unique reason. I wouldn't say it's petty, it's unique to you. I mean it's a rather unique story than a traditional path that someone would take, so I loved hearing that.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah. And I guess I was also looking for maybe like an escape, 'cause the other option for me would've be being straight up like medicine in true details was like, eh, this is another way to maybe avoid surgery.
Aman Chopra- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- But looking back now, it was a great choice and I'm glad like the people around me supported me, even if it seemed like what was inspiring me was a little unusual. But they just knew that I would always, I'd always had that where I say I would go for something and I actually do go for it, so.
Aman Chopra- Wow. You said you loved your clinical practice that you're talking about and then at the same time you noticed that there were bottlenecks in the whole path that you wouldn't need to come and be my patient if you knew this or you had this awareness and that's where your public health heart came in. And how does one decide, like how do you decide like I'm gonna leave my clinical practice that I love and I want to go into public health. How did that path happen?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- I know, I'll be honest, I don't think it was the easiest thing to do. I think it was tough in the sense that you've been so sold out. For example, I, I chose physical therapy or physiotherapy as a teenager. So like sold, I would say giving my best for the five, six years that I studied for. And now I'm seeing a different pattern. I'm like okay, maybe not. But I guess what actually helped was just that passion. I feel like you go in every day and you hear your patient stories. So there's something we call subjective assessment, and objective assessment. So before you touch the patient and examine them, they tell you what happened. So I just hear many stories like, oh I had, I've had this for like five years and it started just when I bent over to pick something and then I heard a sound and like what did you do about it? Oh, nothing. I just sat back for another four years. And you're like, okay, no, that's not the right thing to do. So I guess daily listening to those stories for my patients just kept doing something on the inside like are you sure you want to keep listening to these stories for like the next 20 to 30 years? And what you do is pretty much curative, which is like you are treating the symptoms but the root causes are still there. So it was just that constant unrest. I would call it the healthy unrest. Like you love this and it's a great advantage so you can do more with it. So I just against all odds said, yeah, I would transition and-
Aman Chopra- It felt like the right move in that moment, 'cause because you're making a, you're actually changing a systemic issue in the place, in the place that you love. You love clinical practice and if you can change a systemic concern-
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly.
Aman Chopra- You'll get more people that have bigger issues or issues that can be, that are not preventable perhaps. And you can take care of that in the moment.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Take care of it, exactly. So like if you fix the systems, the structures then-
Aman Chopra- Nice.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- The people would be able to benefit from it.
Aman Chopra- And what attracted you to NYU if you were choosing your public health path, what made you come here?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah, that's also another interesting dive. So like I said, I had like this daily nudge to go into public health. So I did my research, I checked out for like top schools in public health. I knew I also wanted the US 'cause I liked the system and just the approach to public health like advocacy, policy. So I saw NYU pop up as one of the top schools and then I went into the details and I found it intriguing, like peer-directed learning, the faculty. I actually saw a particular faculty and interestingly I put his name in my personal statement and also like reached out when I was here. Like I like the work you do, especially in this space of public health and would be great to just like ask a few questions about your journey also so that I could pick one or two and get inspired. And that's another thing I like about NYU, just that access with and to faculty, like faculty really sees that your dream is valid regardless of where you are from. And I truly love that. Like you just feel heard, you feel welcome. It doesn't matter what your journey has been so far, but they're really ready to help you. So that stood out for me. Also the fact that NYU is, I feel like we should shout this over and over and blow up the roofs. NYU is in New York City. Like you have all of this major conferences happening here and it feels like a literal brag when you say I attend NYU when you go to these conferences, you most likely see a lot of people there also. So when I saw all of these things and I also had a conversation with a friend and she was like, yes, NYU is a beautiful place to be. So that was really very helpful. I would say it was from my research, it was from everything that I saw. I saw like how far NYU had gone also with public health in particular like the work that was being done. I liked it and I liked just that our, that intersection of what you bring to the table and also being able to learn from experts and your colleague. So, and I haven't been disappointed. It has been a great ride so far.
Aman Chopra- Who is the professor?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- This is where I say a loud shout out to Professor Alden Lai. Yes, it was Professor Alden Lai. I noticed that he had done so much work in the occupational health space, also just advocating for the health of workers. 'Cause that was something I realized when I worked as a physiotherapist. Like a lot of people who come down with like the neck pain, back pain and the knee pain at desk workers. So they sit down for like six to five, five to six hours just having their posture in a stiff way and that way, they're probably not sitting the right way, eye level and all of those things. So I noticed that over time this would cause them to have certain kind of musculoskeletal disorder and also get them to retire with disabilities. So when I saw that Professor Alden Lai also has that being a voice for workers, working population across not just the US in the Asian population also I was really intrigued. So I was like, I like what he's doing because this is what I really think that would be a good way to also give back to my own community. And when I got in I was able to like shoot an email and he was happy to meet. And interestingly you also told me about another conference that was my highlight to my first semester because attended that conference and it was just, I just feel like I was in the right place at the right time, so.
Aman Chopra- I mean, I love it when people shout out professors 'cause there's a lot of professors that we don't know and people can share each other's profile.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Oh yes, a professor Alden Lai is 'cause I also took a course with him last semester. Team strategy I think that is phenomenal is depth in this things as regards health innovation, advocacy, research for targeted populations. I think it's brilliant.
Aman Chopra- Lovely.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah.
Aman Chopra- You are an international student, you've come from Nigeria. How do you navigate life as an international student here? I know before we started the the chat we were talking about how you did not go home for the first 16 months as well. What is life like for you? I'm sure there's a lot of international students here at GPH. What is it like for you?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- I would say a blend of many things. So initially when I got in, of course there would always be that I miss home feeling. But I guess that's another thing that stands NYU out because there's a diverse population. So you have, like, you do not feel like the only international student in a group of 10. No way. Like there are a lot of people like you that also like left their homes to be here. So that way you can like share experiences. It's always so great when, 'cause I remember during the orientation I like met a lot of internationals and like oh you also just got into the US, oh we're together. Have you been getting lost? Yes I have. Have you been missing your train stops? Yes I have. So like I guess just that community that NYU provides for you because there are other like a lot of international students just like you was very helpful. I also think just having resources, I will shout out to GPH Student affairs here too because like there's always an event, there's something organized for you to like mingle, for you to feel at home. It's either the welcome or you are going to bowl or you are, it just made it easier to settle in because like all of these events were highlighted and I made sure to also be very intentional. I remember 'cause I worked as student ambassador for GPH over the summer and I was part of the panel discussion and I remember that hashtag being intentional was taken from a lot of my responses. But yeah, I've realized that in your journey through life you have to be intentional. So you have to be intentional as an international student to make wherever you are now based in to be a home away from home. So that way you, you just have to like take responsibility for that. Like make sure that you're not sulking or feeling bad about whatever you left behind because you can only get better and brighter.
Aman Chopra- So better and brighter and you came here for that. It's not, it's not frankly economical or cheap to come to to come to the US for a degree. How did, what was your financial or scholarship journey like? How did, how can, how can you guide someone? What was your journey like coming here from your home country?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Oh yes it was, to be honest, I would say that the financial part was a significant challenge but a good thing about orders is you get to jump over and just get to the finish line. So I got the merit scholarship from NYU GPH and I also in my first year was a recipient of the PO International Scholarship Fund. It's International Peace Scholarship Fund, IPS. And with that I was able to like make the decision to go ahead. Did I try to also bolster that with other strategic initiatives like try to work, see if, how far you can go with a loan. My second year was much better 'cause I got more scholarship. I became a recipient of the GGK Scholarship Fund and I also was selected for the second year as a recipient of the PEO scholarship fund. And this PEO scholarship fund is another way that I would say I've had a great experience here so far because beyond just giving you that scholarship, it's like put together by sisters, it's sisterhood. They just wanna support international students. So they would be in touch with you, send you cards, tell you welcome, remember your birthday. So yes that's another, that's the emotional side of it, the emotional satisfaction side of it. But altogether I would say I've been able to leverage the work I do, the scholarships I've gotten. I always call like getting a job. I say it's you killing two birds with the stone, because you get to impact, you get to learn. But that way you also have some money to go ahead with your finances and be settled here, so.
Aman Chopra- What are some resources that people could use in their journey? And first of congratulations, it's not, people get selected for scholarships and you have clearly stood out in the whole pool to even get a scholarship. So that's a great way to get started. Is, is, is are there other resources? What can someone do to get a scholarship? What are some resources they can go to if they don't get a scholarship to your knowledge?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yes. So I would say, lemme start with the scholarship. I would say that again, be intentional. It's very important to be intentional with filling out the forms and just being honest. I would also honestly say that I think I've mentioned maybe a total of four scholarships now or about five. But in my two years of being here I probably applied to about 10. So yes there will be rejections but the more, so I do have a list of scholarships. Like I had like an Excel sheet. So you just go on Google and say that scholarships for US graduate students or in public health and you see a list. So with that list I made an Excel sheet. My friend also shared some opportunities with me who studied here in the US. So I put all of that in an Excel sheet, put the date for the deadline, the requirements, determined which I was going to go for. And the good thing is there is no application fee for all of these things. So just go ahead to do that and hope for the best. The other thing I would say with if you do not get scholarships is there's one, of the power of faith where you just know that this is what you should do and things will work out for you. But there's also the work you have to do which is, is your resume great so that when you're networking you are able to show that you are potentially a good teammate because like there's a lot of research out there looking for who would be an associate or an assistant. So if you plan to go through that route, you also have to have a strong resume. And I think the last would be for loans, 'cause people also think oh if I'm going to get a loan then why do I need to stress over the application? But yes.
Aman Chopra- You need to get back the loan.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly. So I think it's also important to be intentional when filling out like loan forms, have a plan, have meetings with all of this. There are people, LinkedIn helped me a lot with like seeing somebody who was like you said, like for example there was someone from Nigeria who had a YouTube channel and said oh this is how I was able to a loan and this is how it helped me. So I connected met with her through Zoom meeting. So things like that will help you make a plan. But I would say that if you believe that you can do it, there's this popular saying we have, it is where there's a will, there is a way. So it would come through. It would come through.
Aman Chopra- Tell me about the the the jobs you are currently working at Langone?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yes.
Aman Chopra- How does one land a job? What was your process like? Did you have another Excel sheet I'm assuming? What was that whole process like?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- You know this already, you've gotten a hang of it. Yes, I would say if there's anything we must tell ourselves, you know honestly as international students is you have to be more strategic. You have to be, you have to have a vision and like a map to go with it. So I think the breakthrough for me started with my internship with Johnson and Johnson. I had my internship with Johnson and Johnson. I worked in the global medical affairs team and to get that I was mostly on LinkedIn and I also had an Excel sheet for all of this opportunities. So I was on LinkedIn, I reached out to, I applied, reached out to whatever. Sometimes you see an email so it's not just okay to apply via the link. If you are lucky enough to see like an email attached, then you also shoot an email and say I applied for this and this is also my qualification and I'm hoping just a respectful way to also pitch yourself and the work you do. So that helped. And with I'm going it was the same thing. I reached out, I found out about the research that was going on in different labs and then I reached out, I did my interviews. I think interviews should also be taken very seriously. Even if you think it's research. Yes it's very important to like take and prepare for-
Aman Chopra- Tell us why, why do you say that?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- So oftentimes I see the misguided concept that if I show you what I can do or the work I've done in the past with research for example, I've done a lot of things back home in Nigeria. So if you see all of those things you should know that I'm able to do the job. So I don't necessarily need to be too detailed in how I put myself forward to you with the interviews, but that's not necessarily the case. But it because again, competition is a very constant thing in any environment that you go to and it's healthy, it's healthy for you, it helps you to do better. So that way you know that you are reading about the research position, not just about what you can do but the intersection between what you can do and what the job is looking for or what the offerer wants you to present. So that way when you meet with your interviewers you are very grounded and what they would have you do and you can show that you are potentially a very valuable person to the team. But oftentimes there's a temptation to just swing by and just say what comes to your mind. But no preparation makes a huge difference because that way you know the key words to use, you know what exactly you're going to bring to the table beyond just the job description. And just that also helps with your confidence because when you're enthusiastic and your confident, then the interviewer thinks I should have you on my team.
Aman Chopra- Yeah. Since, since you show up, you're well aware of what, what the job entails. So the preparation means take it seriously, show up, understand what someone might be looking for so you can connect with them.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly.
Aman Chopra- Rather than hoping this works out.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah.
Aman Chopra- In a way.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly.
Aman Chopra- Okay. Last question about you being an international student beyond funding and first off, this is very insightful. I'm sure a lot of people didn't even know these options existed. So you have given us that guide to show that okay there is this that exists. You can go to funding, 10 scholarships, you look like whoa you got four scholarships. But all the rejections also do count-
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly. Yeah.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- For you.
Aman Chopra- What are the other challenges that one could anticipate or you, you received or you felt when you came in as an international student over here?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- I would say this might seem trivial, but it's also very important. It's with communication because we all have our accents that is very acceptable back home, everyone sounds the same way. But then you get here and unintentionally because it's just like subconscious. You're trying to like communicate a point but you realize that you were misunderstood or you were not understood at all. Or you also, 'cause I remember there was a class that I first stepped in, I was like is it me or it seems like this professor is on a two times speed?
Aman Chopra- Double speed.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- But yeah, so initially that would be something you have to come to terms with. The good side is back home I had overcome the struggle of communication because interestingly I also like founded an academical Speaking Fingers Academy back home just to help students to be able to better articulate themselves in words. 'Cause that was something I initially struggled with. I would rather write a speech than deliver a speech, that was me before.
Aman Chopra- Nice.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- And then I evolved into somebody who became very confident with my speaking, in my words, in my expression. So I run that mentorship program back home and I think it was very helpful when I got here. I mean it was also a shock. It humbled me because you would think, oh I'm a public speaking mentor back home. So it shouldn't be hard to understand what I'm saying. But it humbled me. It helped me to realize two major things. To own my identity, it's okay if initially people do not understand you based on this, it's, it has nothing to do with victimization or to draw your esteem down.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- No.
Aman Chopra- Well said. Yeah.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- It is just the environment and as humans we are built to adapt. So what does that mean for you as an international student? It might mean speaking a little slowly, it might mean making sure that your words are well-rounded so that that way you are on a, but it doesn't mean 'cause oftentimes I feel like international students feel like then it means they have to lose their tongue in a certain sense or they have to lose themselves or they're not good enough. No, I don't think that's the case. It has been a learning experience for me because you then get to appreciate it because the environment you're in also has other people from different environments. So for example, I went for the World Bank Youth Summit last year and I won the global case challenge and that meant that I had to speak in front of an international audience, not just people from the United States of America. So the learnings I had learned as an international student in my first three months helped me to be able to get on that lectern, on that platform and be sure that everyone could hear what I was saying. Sometimes it means you have to make less complicated slides, it means you have to slow down like I said earlier. But I think it is ultimately a beautiful experience. So that might be a major challenge for you as an international student, but I also think it's an opportunity to grow.
Aman Chopra- How did you end up at this World Bank conference? So did NYU help you with that? How did that happen?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Okay, so this is also where you should know by now, I had this sheet. Okay. No that's not true. No, this was on this one. Another Excel sheet.
Aman Chopra- This was on Microsoft Word.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly. So I'm also very keen, I guess that's another thing I would like to tell international students. I'm also keen on all around development. So I generally look out for conferences and things that would equip me for, I participated in a Yale healthcare Innovation Challenge in my first semester. My friend shared that and I was like, oh yeah, I'm ready to take on that too, that challenge just for the experience. So it was the same for World Bank. I had learned about it. Also shout out to my friends because a number of my friends, I've attended this, conferences before so you get to either see it on their page or they mention it in conversations. So I also had a list of these conferences that I would love to attend when I got here, the moment I settled in I had like plans. So, and then I looked out for whenever the, for example, the next one should be in May. So I looked out for when I would do the, when the conferences would come up and then I applied. 'Cause all of these conferences also require that you apply and again, competition is out there, healthy competition that helps you to be intentional about how you fill your form. So I applied and then I got an invitation as a delegate.
Aman Chopra- Yeah, then you mentioned a few times honesty, intentionality, scholarships, forms. What makes that so important? Oftentimes when they fill out these forms, they're like, I need to be the best version of myself. I need to showcase the, so they see me in this way when, not that it's not the truth perhaps, but it's a hyperbolized version. What does this mean to you when I say that?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- I think that it's very risky to go through that route like you just mentioned because for most of these things there's the other side which is when you then get selected you have to show these things. So for example, beyond the first stage for the World Bank was that I got selected as a delegate. But interestingly I got there and there was a case competition and we had to do real life brainstorming. It was teasing out a case. It was intense. I think we started at 4:00 PM and we're meant to, we started at 3:00 PM and we're meant to turn in our slides at 7:00 PM.
Aman Chopra- Okay.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- So imagine that I had said in my application that I do well with pressure, I'm innovative, I enjoy teasing out cases and helping healthcare, just driving innovation. And then I get to the setting, the real world setting. And I'm struggling because that's the downside. Because if you say that you are all of this, you also need to like show either evidence, for example, if it's just forms for scholarship or for these things like being selected as a delegate, you have to show what you've said you are. And it's very tricky when you then cannot. So I guess also, those that are on the other side that review these applications, that review these scholarship forms, they've been doing this for years. So they know, they know when this resident is just trying to speak like AI or this person is just trying to be what they are not, or they've been doing this for years. So they will let you know that oh they could really, they could really tap into your story and they liked your approach. For some of them you would do interviews like there were two that I applied for. You would have I think two interviews or one before they finally select like the people would get the scholarships. So you want to be sure that what you've projected and what you wrote-
Aman Chopra- Matches who you show up as.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Exactly.
Aman Chopra- Are there classes, so obviously classes here at the school that really stand out to you, some of your favorite classes, and I know you're about to go to one right after this interview, at least while we're filming this, but what, what classes, which professors really stand out to you and have changed your perspective on public health at NYU?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Honestly, I would give the professors in the school of global public health at NYU, I would give them all their flowers because I have had no class that I felt like eh, that wasn't so great. No. Like every class has been amazing. I like that every professor brings in like their entirety. They want to pour out like everything they have. So I would say everything has been so good, but particularly because of my core in policy and management, I have loved the healthcare policy class. I really loved the team strategy class that was like, felt like we're doing real life business consulting in the space of healthcare. And I remember we had like a project where for my team we chose the New York City H and H and that way we were able to like dive into the strategy, construct of the system and like analyze it and also come up with solutions. I enjoyed things like that where you're able to bring your innovative solutions, you're able to push policies, advocate. That has been amazing. And the next lesson I'm also having now is public law. I remember when I was, when I saw it on my calendar as a requirement for my course, I was like, oh my god, it's law. But it has been so good so far. The professor makes it easy and you can internalize, you can understand. So yes, classes have been amazing at NYU GPH.
Aman Chopra- So beyond classes, actually, I'm curious to know about clubs and I mean we can go on and on about the classes and the work you're doing. If you wanna give flowers to everyone, that means there's a lot of love.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- I know, it would take forever.
Aman Chopra- Tell me about clubs. You're the vice president of the African Graduate Student Association. What does that club mean to you? What does that club serve? How can people get connected to their clubs over here?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yes. I would say that has been a huge blessing to me. I actually joined the club even before I traveled into the United States of America.
Aman Chopra- Oh wow. Okay.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- So yes, that's definitely something African students should look out for, the NYU, African Grad Student Association or NYU African Grads. And it gives you a community, a community that helps you to thrive. Remember that we were talking about just settling in as an international student? So it's a thriving community that helps you to realize that there are many people like you. It gives you opportunities. We also like always have events. For example, we are always looking for ways to like develop anyone on the team, anyone on, in the group, sharing different opportunities, sharing conferences, sharing ideas. If you're looking for a partner in like business research, you just need to drop a message on the group and say, oh I, I'm looking out for this. 'cause we actually have a WhatsApp group and we're also live on socials like LinkedIn and Instagram. So I think it's, it's at the core making sure that there's a thriving community for Africans and NYU generally. 'Cause it's not just GPH, it's across all schools. And it has been beautiful so far just seeing people's testimonies. Also my testimony because before becoming vice president I was also a member and now I'm giving back because I really had a lot to benefit from that community. The alum are willing to help you tell you about like different things. For example, I mentioned that I'm a recipient of a number of scholarships. So when I share that on the group, I'm like, I'm also available if you want to set up a meeting with me as to how I was able to put in my application. Maybe you could learn it a thing or two. So yes, it has been such a blessing. It's a great community. I would definitely advocate for people looking out for clubs that align with their values, their identities, and just going ahead to join. Sometimes you just need to shoot, these things are all available, but you might not necessarily find the link to joining the group. So if you see anyone shout out these things, feel free to reach out and say, oh, I would like to be a part of that and it'll be helpful. There's also like the Black Public Health Network here in GPH, all of those clubs help you to further find a community of like minds that help you to enjoy the experience in school.
Aman Chopra- You have to go to your class. So I have one last question for you, 'cause is this your last semester here at NYU?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yes.
Aman Chopra- So at least the time we're shooting this episode, maybe LA has graduated by the time this is live. But I'm curious, you have done, you have, you have done so much on this journey. The way you even got here is, is such a delight to hear from, physiotherapy. And we didn't even get to the part of you being a poet, but I'm sure people will research about you and they'll find out a lot about-
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah, poetry.
Aman Chopra- About your poetry.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Yeah.
Aman Chopra- And all the awesome work you do. I'm curious to know what is the last thing you'd leave with someone that's about to step into your shoes now in the coming semester, when they start their first semester at GPH or someone who's a prospective students, what advice would you give them when it comes to being a student here?
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Oftentimes, especially if your journey looks a lot like mine, where you have to cross from the clinical medicine and transition to like public health or like healthcare management. There will be many voices in your head. There will be many voices in your head. This is the right thing to do, should you go ahead. But I would say that there is always that voice that stands out and it's the one that comes from your heart. It's that thing you're passionate about. And when you do go with passion, you would win, you will thrive, you would conquer. It doesn't mean that you wouldn't experience challenges, but you will conquer. So that's the first thing I like to see. The other thing is you don't have to walk alone. You don't have to do life alone. So find resources, find people, connect with those that have had similar experiences. Like I said, the GPH faculty, student affairs, the clubs are very willing to help. So sometimes you just need to reach out, shoot an email. A lot of people are often scared to get rejected, but rejection is redirection. That's the third thing I would say. So go for it. If you get a yes, yay. If you get a no, it's still a yay because ultimately rejection is redirection. And there's this last thing because interestingly, I released a video for, I'm an ambassador for the Association of Schools and Programs, public health and ATIPH ambassador. We call ourselves, this is public health. And I did a video where I was asked to say something to anyone who would like to come into the public health profession. And what I said was, you are not the extra, you're not the add-on, you are the voice. You matter on the table. So say something, do something. Impact your community. Don't feel like everyone is at track anyway. What difference will I make? No, your presence makes all the difference. So go for it. Go for your dreams. Sometimes you might need to fight for your dreams, that's fine too. Just in all make sure that you conquer and you impact the world that truly needs you.
Aman Chopra- And that is a beautiful way to end with your voice.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Thank you. Yeah, that's it too.
Aman Chopra- No, truly. It's so such an impressive takeaway of honesty, integrity, just how life happens. And I really admire the journey you have taken to come here to GPH and made all these amazing, amazing improvements and enhancements in your life.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Thank you so much. It has been great to be here. Thank you so much for this invite and yay, I'll continue to be a fan. It doesn't matter if I'm sitting on this table. I'm a very huge fan.
Aman Chopra- All right folks, that was Toluwalase Akinluyi and it has been a delightful conversation. If you're into learning more about Toluwalase we'll put the links in the description for you to find out more and see you om the next episode. Thanks for tuning in everyone, stay inspired.
Toluwalase Akinluyi- Thank you.