Olayiwola Odeniran

Hi! My name is Olayiwola "Wola" Odeniran and I’m a student at the University of Baltimore (UB) majoring in Simulation and Game Design. I grew up down the street from the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), so I knew about it but was not aware of all the majors offered here. When I was at Montgomery College working on my Associate's Degree, I was excited to learn that UB at USG offered the program I was interested in getting my bachelor's degree in.

I chose the UB at USG because it provides the support I need to be successful. There’s a lot of assistance as teachers, counselors and students are approachable and very helpful. I try to give that same energy back to them when I’m called on to help. I think when you search for schools, finding approachable people can be hard to find sometimes.

In terms of the reasons I chose my major, what’s not to love about it? Getting the opportunity to be in a major centered around game design is awesome and it’s an experience I will never take for granted. It is a competitive program and I try to make the most of my opportunity. During my time here, I’ve made some really good friends in my classes by working in groups and pushing each other to be successful.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a local, which played a big role in my decision to go to USG. It certainly beats the trip of going to Baltimore with the likelihood of being stuck in traffic on I-95. The short trip helps balance my personal life as I work two jobs while being a full-time student. I cover the Baltimore Ravens for USA TODAY Sports Media Group at Ravens Wire as a writer and I’m an editorial intern at InvestorPlaceMedia as well. Time is precious for me, which is why I’m happy to be a student at UB at USG.