Alumnus Establishes an Essay Scholarship in Memory of Family

 By Hazel Scott/ASU

Alumnus (2005) Bambo Adeshiyan understands that education is a gift that lasts a lifetime, and a memorial scholarship is a meaningful way for him to honor those special people in his life while carrying his legacy forward to future generations of students.  

Adeshiyan, founder and executive director of Winchester Aid Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded to make a positive impact in the lives of African Americans who require charitable assistance, has established The 25 Suenu Memorial Scholarship,  a $1,000 annual essay competition specifically designed for students in the Department of Communications. This year’s scholarship funds will be presented to the winning applicant during ASU’s 2024 Homecoming Week.

 “I wanted to memorialize the late members of my dad's and my mom's side of the families, Adeshiyan and Giwa, respectfully, and to encourage the continued academic performance of the students pursuing a degree in the Department of Communications at ASU. Also, my enthusiasm for the continued upliftment of Bama State can only be beaten by the University's current targeted emphasis on giving back as well,” Adeshiyan said.

The scholarship, 25 Suenu, refers to the family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria.  “Each of the family members that are being honored have once lived in this home at one point.”

SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

Applicants who apply for The 25 Suenu Memorial Scholarship must be enrolled in one of the six areas of study under the Department of Communications and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.

All essays, a 500-word minimum, will be judged on the following criteria: grammar/spelling, relevance to the essay theme, and overall cohesiveness of thoughts expressed. Essays will be checked diligently for any acts of plagiarism.

Applicants can submit their essays starting April 1. The submission deadline is April 30. To apply go to 25 Suenu Memorial Scholarship Application.

GIVING

Adeshiyan noted the scholarship also supports the school’s overall efforts of continued alumni financial support.

“In addition to memorializing my family members who passed away, I hope this scholarship also serves as a trigger to other ASU alumni - if I can do it, you can do it as well…I hope this initiative will be seen as a catalyst that invigorates an uptick in alumni support far and near,” he said.

Adeshiyan’s philanthropic spirit stems from his upbringing.

“This is what I was meant to do. I was blessed to have a family whose lifelong philosophy is to always think of others, who take their civic responsibilities very seriously and do whatever they can make the world a better place. They instilled that in me, and I’m steadfastly committed to executing the work necessary to help those in need – one charitable act at a time,” he added.