Olayemi Alaba, or simply “Yemi,” is a 16-year-old junior at Wheeler High School. Yemi who was born in Chicago, Illinois on the 27th of December of 2001. She moved to Georgia in her 4th year of primary school. Yemi comes from Nigerian ancestry, and although she doesn’t speak the native language of Yoruba, Yemi hopes to learn it someday. In her daily life, Yemi struggles with ADHD causing a lack of focus for an extended amount of time; however, when she’s focused, there is nothing she can’t do.

In addition to being half Nigerian, Yemi comes from a family of five including her two sisters, her older sister Ariel (22) and her younger sister Dayo (7) and her mother Melisa Alaba and her father, Owolabi Alaba. Yemi loves her family, and in her spare time, she cooks with her grandmother, Nana Linda. As Yemi grows older, she teaches her younger sister how to make pound cake. Yemi loves her culture; her favorite traditions are are weddings and parties. Yemi says “ being Nigerian-American is not just my cultural identity, but it’s who I am in my heart.”

Furthermore, Yemi is a phenomenal student being on the A/B Honor Roll. She is in the Advancement Via Individual Determination ( AVID ) program, which is a college readiness program designed to help students develop the skills they need to be successful in college. Yemi also is apart of the Atlanta Braves Leadership program, which is a program created by the Atlanta Braves as a reward for high school students in Braves Country for their hard work and dedication to academic excellence, for students who maintain a straight A, A/B average. Additionally, Yemi is in many clubs including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), also student government where she serves as the junior class president. Her role in student government is to organize all school events and raise money for fundraisers. Yemi signs herself up for an abundance of clubs because she hopes to major in biology and later pursues a career in plastic surgery. Yemi hopes to be a plastic surgeon because she “wants to make people happy with every part of themselves inside and out.”

In conclusion, who is Olayemi Alaba? Yemi is a gifted and talented woman who is an ally amongst many communities. Yemi is a visionary pioneering for the future, and her efforts can be visible in the Wildcat Nation.

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