By Lenore Devore, B.S. Journalism, 1984

Nigerian native Samuel Arowosafe was an accomplished campus journalist when he was called to one-year mandatory duty with the National Youth Service Corps, a move that changed the trajectory of his career.

“I wasn’t going to work in the development space. I was going to go into journalism,” Arowosafe said. “But during the mandatory service we do for the government of Nigeria I worked with the non-profit Cuso International,” which worked toward economic resiliency and sustainable solutions for everyone.

When he completed his service, he was interested in working in the development space, he said. “I joined Junior Achievement in Nigeria as a marketing and communications assistant, rising to deputy manager. One thing that attracted me to JA Nigeria was the kind of work they do. They focus on helping young people learn more about business. The goal at the end of the day is to help young people own their economic future, to teach them how to start and run their own business successfully, to help them become socially responsible.”

He felt he was able to make an impact on the lives of young people, but he wanted more, and he didn’t want to be tied to journalism.

“After working five years in the development space I felt like it was time for me to add more skills and advance myself, which would also help me have more impact not only locally (in Nigeria) but globally,” he said. “That’s when I decided to go for my master’s degree.”

Arowosafe earned his bachelor of arts in Communication and Language Arts in 2018 from the University of Ibadan. He did post-graduate work, earning a Business Administration and Management certificate from the Lagos Business School before deciding to leave Nigeria to come to the United States.

He researched several U.S. universities, such as Penn State and Arizona State. “Then I saw UF, the curriculum, the syllabus, the program schedule, and it looked like what I wanted. I decided I should go to UF because of the program’s requirements.”

He’s in the Research and Theory Master’s thesis program, which combines “big picture awareness with specialization to create some of the most well-rounded and well-regarded academics in the nation,” according to the UF website.

“This gave me the opportunity to take courses from different departments and be able to combine everything into the journey I’m currently on,” he said. He expects to earn his master’s this year.

Such a large university has been a good fit for Arowosafe. “One thing I’m excited about is UF moving in the direction of being globally competitive in terms of artificial intelligence and the faculty in CJC who have specialization in AI. I’m particularly grateful I have the opportunity to learn under these professors.”

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Arowosafe works with Media Production, Management and Technology Professor Jasmine McNealy in the Infrastructure for Communities, Ecology for Data (ICED) Hub, where he assists in research on things like how people in rural areas use AI for the betterment of their lives.

“One of the studies we are working on is about the use of AI in agriculture – how farmers use AI on their farms, the perceived ease of use and the perceived benefits. After adoption, do they find it easy to use? What are the risks? What would make them want to use it? Overall, we are interested in using artificial intelligence in a rural context,” he said.

In Summer and Fall 2024, Arowosafe interned at UNICEF under the Education Cannot Wait Division, where he worked in communications and advocacy. He said he put what he learned in the classroom to use in the professional setting.

“One of the things that stood out was the use of AI within the department,” he said. “One of the things I studied in class (using AI tools for data analysis and writing stories from that data) I was able to use for the advancement of the organization. It was something practical and interesting to me.”

His work at UNICEF and in the ICED Labs, his participation in research groups and his good grades led to Arowosafe receiving a 2024 UF International Center Certificate of Outstanding Merit. The certificates recognize the contributions of international students to the university.

Arowosafe said he’s “in love with UF and CJC. Maybe someday I will get my Ph.D. in the college,” he said.

Right now he’s planning to return to the corporate world in Nigeria, “but that’s not cast in stone,” he said. He’s concerned that if he goes back to work he may not want to return to school for his doctorate. “Now I’m in a position to study.”

His ultimate goal is to work in the  United Nations’ system  “and make an impact, not just in my local area but on a global scale. Nigeria would be my starting point.”

When he’s not working or studying, Arowosafe likes to play piano, watch TV news and play video games.

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