4-27-2023 4:22am

FROM OWINGS MILLS

Hunt Valley Life Staff

GRADUATING SENIOR PROFILE: DEBORAH OLORUNDARE, OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL

Celebrating the Class of 2023

By TEAM BCPS

DEBORAH OLORUNDARE, OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL

BCPS schools attended: Sudbrook Magnet Middle School, Franklin Middle School, and Owings Mills High School

Deborah Olorundare

Tell us about a teacher, assignment, field trip, or extracurricular activity that had a significant impact on you?

Every teacher I've ever had, every assignment I've ever done, and every extracurricular I've ever been a part of has taught me something important that has made me the person I am today. I’ve learned from my teachers' lessons that have gone beyond the contents of the classes they teach, about the real world and cultivating important habits. Even the “bad” teachers I’ve encountered taught me to make the most of what I had. I could have given up in their class and accepted bad grades, but I persevered and advocated for myself, maintaining my grades. But the most important lesson I’ve learned is that change is inevitable, and it could be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me or the worst. It’s all up to me. I think accepting that fact really helped me grow into a person I’m proud of.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that change is inevitable, and it could be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me or the worst. It’s all up to me. I think accepting that fact really helped me grow into a person I’m proud of.

What did you accomplish that you are most proud of?

I am most proud of my role as president of the National Honor Society at my school. I started the school year with certain things and goals I wanted to accomplish like a fundraiser of some sort, a campus cleaning initiative, and a college panel of seniors open to the whole school. I was able fulfill my goals as this year NHS successfully carried out a change drive for the victims of the Syria-Turkey earthquake, aided with the schoolwide winter coat drive, conducted an event where students could clean the campus grounds after school, and now plans for the college panel are underway and close to fruition.

What’s next for you?

College! I am going to attend Princeton University on a full-ride scholarship!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself in a job I love with time for my hobbies (I'm a baker and animation enthusiast!) as well as time to travel and experience the wonders the world has to offer.

Favorite quote

"Men must live and create. Live to the point of tears." - Albert Camus

Favorite book

"Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi

Favorite movies

"Princess and the Frog" and "A Silent Voice"

ABOUT DEBORAH

"Deborah Olorundare, soon-to-be graduate of Owings Mills High School, will be the first to tell you that grades aren’t everything.

"'Learning matters, rather than grades. You have to learn at least one thing that sticks with you from each class.'

"Her friends laugh—because Deborah has a 4.0 grade point average, earned from multiple challenging classes. She’s president of the Owings Mills High School National Honor Society. And next year, she’s going to Princeton, on a full scholarship from Questbridge. Easy for her to say.

"But all of this has not come easy to Deborah. She works hard, for herself and for her community. When her family immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2017, Deborah knew she had been given an opportunity. Still, she worried about fitting in and would practice everything in her head before reading out loud, so her words wouldn’t sound different. Making friends was harder, surrounded by so many people. Ultimately, Deborah found that her teachers really helped her acclimate to her new environment.

"Now, Deborah is a leader and a role model. As president of the National Honor Society, she organized many activities to serve the community. She is an avid reader, baker, and animation enthusiast. And as she’s grown and changed through her high school experiences, she finds herself less scared to try new things—an attitude that will help as she explores psychology, engineering, or English at Princeton.

"'I’m a perfectionist,' she says. 'I really struggled with doing things I didn’t know I would be good at. But now if I’m bad at it, I’m bad at it. I at least try.'"

Courtney Yates, AVID teacher