Episode 06: Olayemi Anifowose-Eso

Olayemi joins Willie in the Common Room, explains why she describes herself as “self-assured” (2:42), recounts her journey from Lagos to the UK at age 14 without her family, and compares her Schwarzman experience with her schooling in the UK (9:36). As Willie and Olayemi discuss the college application process, Willie shares his story with a high school teacher that did not believe in him (38:15). Olayemi discusses how she found her chosen family through the African and Caribbean Society and athletics teams at Oxford and how Oxford's tough, toxic environment can create students constantly seeking external validation (45:15). Olayemi also reflects on her Schwarzman year and what led her to work at Soros Economic Development Fund (55:04). Finally, Willie and Olayemi end their conversation by discussing the impact of privileges and the privileges they have (1:03:40).