My interest in the mid-Atlantic civic fellowship comes from my strong engagement with societal events and natural communication skills. I have participated in reach-out programs, community learning programs, homeless giving, and many more. My civic roles go back to my high school days when I served in various leadership and mentorship positions. Despite my responsibility to lead, I was involved in my colleagues' and juniors' social and cultural enlightenment. So, public engagement could still be fun. I have gathered positive and negative feedback from the community, understanding where the issues lie. I am from an open society in Lagos, Nigeria. We had an open society and involved ourselves in everything; everybody knew everybody, which was a way to build strong communication skills. My family ties with political affairs in Lagos state, which would also be a reason for my participation in civic activities. I have engaged in civic activities such as voting, volunteering to teach a high school summer class, and joining the protest and movement against voter apathy in my local government area. I was also a leading member of the black lives matters protest in North Cyprus during my study at Eastern Mediterranean University. The need for equity could not be emphasized enough. The University of Baltimore has various activities to bring society closer to its students; I am opportune to work in the University’s center for student engagement and inclusion (CSEI). As a student assistant, I have interacted with peers and the UBALT community on various encounters. Campus reach outs, Feeding the homeless, etc. These were opportunities to experience civic engagement in the United States, and I have been motivated to seek more experiences. As humans, we live for each other. Therefore, we must push for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. That is all I seek.

Tolani Agbaje

2023-2024 Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellow