Morrill Scholar Darius Olayiwola

Darius Olayiwola is an incoming Autumn 2024 Morrill Scholar and engineering major. Originally from California, Olayiwola moved to Columbus in eighth grade and attended New Albany High School, where he was a member of the Black Student Association, National Honor Society, NAACP, and the varsity track and basketball teams.

Olayiwola hails from a family of Morrill Scholars, including his mother and maternal aunts and uncles. (His mother, J. Nwando Olayiwola, is a family doctor who was inducted this year into the ODI Hall of Fame.) His grandparents also attended Ohio State on other scholarships. However, participating in high school engineering programs at MIT and Georgia Tech led Darius to favor other elite universities during the college application process—until the MSP finalist weekend brought him home.

“Just talking to the students who were in MSP and hearing their side, and talking to some of the advisors and hearing all the benefits the program has—that was when I made the decision,” Olayiwola said. “After hearing all the perks and support that come with being a Morrill Scholar, I felt like it was the right place for me.”

He looks forward to capitalizing on the university's countless opportunities. “I'm going in with an open mind,” Olayiwola noted. “I'm going to participate in everything, meet as many people as I can, and take full advantage of everything Ohio State offers me.”