Meet Endowment Donor Waheed A. Taiwo

Waheed came to KPU in May, 2011 as an international student. He grew up in Nigeria and formed a deep love of education at an early age. He first studied internationally in Finland at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, which has a student exchange agreement with KPU, so he decided to come and study in Canada. He loved it here. “The students and instructors were very friendly, the learning was very engaging, and I had more fun studying here.” It didn’t take much, he says, to convince his wife, Bola, to join him as an international student at KPU herself. And the two have made Canada, and KPU, their home. “My plan wasn’t to be a life-timer!” he laughs. Yet here he is, 10 years later. Waheed has earned a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Human Resources Management (2015), a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Accounting (2020), a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration – Global Business Management (2021) and is currently studying for a Diploma in Computer Information Systems. He looks forward to when KPU will introduce Masters programs. Right from the start, Waheed volunteered on campus, joining the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) START program in 2011. In 2014 he volunteered at the KPU Foundation event where KPU’s Civic Plaza Campus was announced, and became a Student Engagement Peer supporting events hosted through the KPU Future Students’ Office. Waheed also served as an orientation leader to welcome new students to KPU and as a peer mentor in the Learning Centre. Waheed served on the KPU Alumni Association Board of Directors 2015-2017. In 2015 he was elected to the KSA as a business student representative, and became Vice President of Finance and Operations. At this time, he also started the Kwantlen Entrepreneurial Students Association club (KESA). Waheed’s first employment at KPU was as a Student Assistant with the IT department in 2011. As a student employee, he went on to serve as a Student Research Assistant/Lead at the Learning Centre, working in various roles until March 2015, when he joined the KSA. Waheed became a staff member at KPU in February 2016 with KPU International as an International Recruitment and Admissions Support Assistant. Waheed is currently Student Success Coach, Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs, in the KPU Melville School of Business. As a student Waheed excelled, and as a tireless volunteer on campus, he was an excellent candidate to receive donor-funded student awards. Receiving these left a lasting impression. When asked why he established his own named student award endowments (which he has built through payroll donations and matching KPU Family Campaign contributions, since his employment at KPU began), he had this to say: “For two reasons. The first is because someone showed me the importance of going to great lengths to support our students. During my work at the Learning Centre, I saw the lengths that the Director, Lyn Benn, would go to help alleviate students’ issues. Although I worked there for less than a year, she managed to ignite in me a passion for supporting our students. I can say that much of what I have done to support our students since then was because of her influence.

Second, I have benefitted greatly from my work as a KPU volunteer. It improved the quality of my network, enhanced my student experience, and gave me many skills that have been instrumental to my career growth. Through the endowments, I am hoping that other students will also benefit from being a volunteer. I’d be happy if my endowments can help our students' careers and support them in becoming a better version of themselves.”

Waheed Taiwo CPHR, PBD, BBA and Bola Taiwo

The Ademola Taiwo Endowed Award and the Olaniyan-Taiwo Endowed Award each reached their $20,000 principal amount target in 2021, and are now ready to give out their first $1,000 student awards in 2022, supporting KPU students who volunteer at KPU or in the community. The Olaniyan-Taiwo Award will give preference to those students who volunteer with Nigerian or African Community Groups. Waheed has started building a third endowment at KPU, the Taiwo Endowed Scholarship. He has aspirations of joining the Management Team at KPU and also being an instructor. He understands the importance and benefits of student engagement, and will continue to work tirelessly to foster an inclusive environment where student engagement thrives at KPU. Waheed believes that being student-centred is what sets KPU apart from other universities. “Almost everyone at KPU, from top management to entry-level staff understands that our students are a priority,” he says, “and we all go out of our way to support them.” He feels that KPU’s contribution to the community is rooted in “the uniqueness of our program offerings, the open admission system, and our willingness to change and adapt our programs to changing market needs.”

As a black person, he has faced barriers and what he terms covert racism, and acknowledges that he had to work really hard for every growth opportunity. But he also feels lucky to be where he is today and the opportunities that he has had through KPU, and is truly grateful for the support of many instructors and colleagues along his journey. He is heartened by the investment that KPU is making in supporting diversity and Indigenous reconciliation through the establishment of new positions and committees and looks forward to increased hiring of BIPOC employees as well as the University investing in career growth opportunities for those employees. He is excited about the recruitment of black students and new programs to support their transition to KPU and establishing on campus a support system for the unique needs of black students. He looks forward to when there will be more students, and employees, “who look like me.”

KPU would indeed be fortunate to have more students and employees, who not only look like, but are like, Waheed Taiwo!