Tomisin Ogunfunmi was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He credits his passion for education and service to his community.
Tomisin’s value of education stems from the role he saw it play in his family’s lives. As the son of Nigerian immigrants, Tomisin has recognized the importance of education in providing the domestic stability necessary to come over to America. Tomisin does not disappoint when it comes to academic achievements. He is graduating at the top of one of the nation’s best high schools with a 4.6 GPA, 20+ AP Exams, and near-perfect standardized testing scores. He’s won countless academic accolades such as National Merit Scholar Finalist, National AP Scholar, and was inducted into the National Honor Society. Tomisin has also taken the time to go above and beyond by engaging himself in a plethora of academic clubs, captaining his school’s Number Sense and Academic Decathlon teams where he’s won awards at the district, region, and state level.
Tomisin recently attended the Minority Introduction to Engineering & Science (MITES) program at MIT where he was able to engage in college-level curriculum with talented students all across the nation. His experience in the MITES program, where he won the Edna and Leon Trilling Overall Academic Achievement Award, inspired him to create change by pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS).
When reflecting on his life, Tomisin can’t help but recognize the profound positive impact that mentorship had on him. He attributes much of his success to the multitude of teachers, mentors, and friends in his community. This experience has pushed Tomisin to assist in the development of others in whatever way he can.
Tomisin has been committed to breaking down barriers when it comes to providing opportunities for low-income, minority members who’ve traditionally been underserved. As an avid chess player and huge proponent of the game, Tomisin founded a chess program for the early childhood center by his school in order to give kids the opportunity to get exposed to the game and take advantage of its benefits. Furthermore, his dedication to expanding the game has contributed to securing funding for chess in his school district, spreading the impact of chess in his community. As an athlete, Tomisin was exposed the the sport of lacrosse through a program dedicated to increasing diversity in a sport infamous for its lack thereof. He currently works to guide others who are new to the game, reducing the impact of obstacles that have traditionally reduced minorities from participating. As a student, Tomisin has worked with his principal to instate a Senior Mentor Program at his school, providing other students with the resources needed to be successful academically.
Tomisin hopes to further the use his education and experiences to make a difference in both his community and the larger global society. With the support of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, he’s convinced that he will be able to open the doors for future generations.
