Enitan Adetona ’17 (Nigeria)
UWCSEA gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity that
has set me on my path to success. I didn’t only get the opportunity to study in Singapore but I had the opportunity
to meet people from places that I didn’t even know existed. I changed mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
Enitan graduated from UWCSEA in 2017, having been generously supported by a UWCSEA family for a full IB Diploma programme scholarship. After graduation, he attended the University of Oklahoma with the intention of studying Economics, but almost immediately changed his major to pursue aviation, a passion which started during his time at UWCSEA. For four years at university, Enitan studied Aviation Management with a minor in General Business. He also grew his passion for flying during this time, and decided to pursue a pilot licence as he started to grow his career.
Enitan is now a qualified private pilot and market intelligence analyst in the aviation industry. It might be a stretch to think his passion for aviation grew directly from UWCSEA classes—while there are many activities to explore at the College, aviation is not among our courses on offer! However, as he puts it, it was more the environment and surroundings of the school itself:
It was the first time I felt the dream was achievable. Simply by being around people from other parts of the world who shared the same passions and ambitions as me, it helped me realise that my aspirations were not only valid but also attainable.
Through a UWCSEA soccer connection, he met a Singaporean family whose father was a pilot for Singapore Airlines.
Enitan had an early, important mentorship conversation about what the career required, and the challenges and
rewards of going into the field. The opportunity to be in Singapore and studying at UWCSEA meant that Enitan was
in the right place to receive the encouragement and build the confidence he needed to jump into the field he had
always dreamt of.
While at College, Enitan built his knowledge of the industry by working as a research analyst for the Federal Aviation
Administration. It was his first taste of the aviation industry and he truly fell in love. Today, through his role, he gets
to fly, but also continues to learn and find success in the business side of industry. He attests much of his professional
success stems from not only being able to build the confidence that he could attain his dreams, but also from the
practical collaboration and teamwork skills he developed while a scholar at UWCSEA.
Enitan now regularly shares these important life skills and lessons back with his home community. When he finds
himself back in Nigeria, he participates in youth seminars to teach students important professional skills such as
resume writing, or putting together school applications. He has also appreciated the chance to talk about his UWC
experience with others, while also helping other young people apply for UWC scholarships.
He believes firmly in paying forward the opportunity for education that had such a formative impact on shaping his life course:
“My UWCSEA scholarship opportunity took me from Nigeria, and put me on a
path where I found my passion for aviation, travel and sports, and where I became
more open minded and adventurous. I learnt perseverance, how to be independent,
to be more in touch with my community, and most importantly, that everything
does happen for a reason. After UWCSEA, I learnt to not put a limit on myself.”