Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. I have once again been busy juggling many
different opportunities. Opportunities I am incredibly grateful for, but have kept me
busy nonetheless. I wanted to take a pause and catch you guys up! None of this would
be possible if not for my support team who continues to hold me up through prayer,
encouragement, financial means, and love.
The Final Lap of My Undergraduate Journey
As I approach my final weeks of school at Greensboro College, this last stretch of my undergraduate studies feels both exciting and scary. My time here has been filled with learning, growing, and countless memories. Almost unbelievable that I will soon have a degree from a United States college! All fully funded by my incredible support team words fall short to express my gratitude. I just hope I can fully show my appreciation somehow to each of you one day. A childhood dream and one of my
grandmother’s biggest prayers will be answered in just a few short weeks.
MCAT SCORE Disappointment
I recently scored 503 out of 528 on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). This is
the required standardized test needed for acceptance into medical school. My goal on
the test was at least a 515, so I did fall short. I will be honest, I was SO disappointed
upon receiving this score. I really wanted to do better. Unless this score does in fact
secure me a spot in a medical program I will retake next year. I am committed to giving
it my all to increase my chances in the competitive field of medicine.
Medical School Applications
Which brings me to my next update. My MCAT score did rule out several medical
schools that I initially applied to, but not all. I am currently completing secondary
applications for four medical schools. I am optimistic but also keeping my options
open for how I can fill my time while working towards medical school acceptance.
EMT Certification on the Horizon
In addition to my school studies, I have been enrolled in the EMT training program. I will start working as a Guilford County EMT January 1st. Yesterday was my first all day training on the
ambulance – I rode on the ambulance from morning until night. Working as an EMT will help me in many areas: 1. I will gain hands-on experience in patient care. 2. This hands-on experience will enhance my medical school application. 3. Will allow me to utilize OPT (Optional Practical Training) a
temporary employment authorization program that I can use to enhance my F-1 visa status for 24 more months. 4. Provide financial assistance so I can help with living expenses and not have to rely so heavily on raised support. These classes are set to wrap up in December, and I am looking forward to applying these skills in real-world scenarios.
Pathways to Support
Seeking Mentors in Medicine -To help guide me through the next steps, I am looking for
mentors in the medical field. If you or someone you know can provide insights, advice,
or mentorship, please reach out! I would love to connect and learn more about the
realities of medical careers.
Financial Assistance to Bridge the Gap – I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the
financial assistance I have received over the past several years. The fundraising that
happened before I even stepped onto US soil until this day. Although I am uncertain of
my next steps, I know I will continue to need financial help for medical school
applications, visa status changes and paperwork, some living expenses (although I am
hoping my EMT work will cover most), applications to PA programs or graduate
programs if I decide to change course, etc.
August 2024 – Celebrating Milestones and Looking Forward
I hope this newsletter finds you well. These last few months have been incredibly busy, but rewarding. I look forward to sharing with you all some of my recent accomplishments and upcoming plans. Your support and prayers throughout haven’t gone unnoticed, and I am just so grateful to each of you! (FULL NEWSLETTER)
June 2024 – Babatunde is almost done!!
Babatunde has just finished school for the year and is almost finished with his undergraduate degree from Greensboro College. He has summer classes to take, one more fall semester, and he will then graduate in December 2024 (walking the stage in May 2025)! Babatunde wants to take the time to thank the Church and update his support team on where he has been and what he has in store next!
Please mark your calendar to attend one of his information sessions:
Sunday, June 16 at 9:45am in the Fellowship Hall
Thursday, June 20 at 8:00am for UM Men’s Breakfast
Babaunde’s Future Looks Bright Babatunde is almost done!! Babatunde has just finished school for the year and is almost finished with his undergraduate degree from Greensboro College. He has summer classes to take, one more fall semester, and he will then graduate in December 2024 (walking the stage in May 2025)! Babatunde wants to take the time to thank the Church and update his support team on where he has been and what he has in store next!
Jan 2024
My dear UMC family,
I hope this message finds everyone well. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your unwavering support and prayers. I am happy to report that my third semester at GC has gotten off to a great start and I’m enjoying my classes. I am also taking steps to prepare for medical school applications. I’m currently making contacts, studying for the MCAT, and looking for internships in clinical or research labs. Additionally, I’m exploring job opportunities as an EMT or CNA, which will count towards my GC internship and provide me with some valuable clinical experience for medical school. To make things easier, getting my license and a car are some of my needs. This will allow me to commute more efficiently once I start any of these jobs. I’m also planning on taking some summer courses, and if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to graduate in December 2024.
Once again, thank you so much for all your help and support. Your encouragement and prayers are making my dream of becoming a doctor come true.
Sincerely,
Babatunde Odofin.
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8/6/23 Babatunde’s Grandmother’s ‘Thank you’.
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6/23 ( From Babatunde ) Dear MSUMC,
Thank you to all who attended the luncheon fundraiser on behalf of my college fund. The turnout, love, and support shown was so humbling to see. I am very appreciative to Anthony and his family, and I hope you all enjoyed the West African cuisine. I’m so grateful to the entire Church for all your support and contributions to my college fund raising so far this year. My first semester of college has been inspiring and rewarding because of each of you. I will continue to take classes through the summer and have also been given the opportunity to work as a Pride Leader (orientation leader) for which I am very excited. Thank you for being part of the team and for your generous sponsorship. May God’s blessing continue to be upon this Church.
With Love,
Babatunde Odofin
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Feb 2023 – A Message to MSUMC from Babatunde – I want to personally thank each one of you and the church as a whole for making it possible to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor at Greensboro College, which is the first step. I feel so privileged to be a recipient of Christ’s love and affection through the church in terms of your monetary and material donations towards my education. This adventure started a month ago and as it stands, it’s been an inspiration to me. My classes have been great so far, and the adventure has been awesome! Had a couple of tests and quizzes too. With your support, this dream will soon become a reality. Thank you for being so generous and kind and I look forward to your guidance and support in my future endeavors too.
Jan 2023 – Exciting Babatunde Odofin Updates & News
At the January 2021 Church Council meeting I reported I had challenged the Outreach Team members to think outside the box of ideas for being God’s hands and feet in the world. I then challenged Church Council members to also think outside the box and share their ideas with Outreach.
A few days later Katie Riddle contacted me with an out-of-the-box idea! She and Nick met Babatunde Odofin while serving in Egbe, Nigeria. He expressed his desire to attend college in the U S. Katie’s question to me was, “Do you think we can sponsor Babatunde and fund his trip, education, and living expenses?” I invited Katie to the next Outreach meeting where we would discuss
this idea.
Fast forward to today and we have cash on hand to fund three semesters for Babatunde at
Greensboro College plus travel and living expenses. Babatunde was denied a visa in 2021 but persisted, with Katie’s assistance, and applied again in 2022. He wasn’t denied at his initial appointment, but neither was he approved. They needed more information. After all the red tape was completed Babatunde was notified he was approved for his visa on October 12. There was a delay in
picking up his visa due to unrest in Nigeria but on November 21 he made the trip to Abuja and received his visa!
Babatunde will not have any winter clothing when he arrives. If you would like to make a donation toward a clothing fund so he can shop for clothing please mark it Babatunde Winter Clothes. Any funds left after purchasing needed winter clothing will be moved to the fund to pay for tuition, etc.
Thank you to all who have prayed for this effort and/or pledged and donated funds. We expect Babatunde to arrive in Kernersville in late December. We look forward to welcoming him to Main Street and to supporting him during his time here.
—Babatunde Odofin
