In his native Nigeria, Ifeloluwa Adefolaju established a solid career in frontline pharmacy and pharmaceutical sales. However, he says, “I realized my influence was limited to single hospitals or territories. I wanted the strategic toolkit to shape access at a national or even global scale.”

The most logical next step toward his goal, he concluded, was an MBA with concentrations in strategy and healthcare. In Vanderbilt, he found a combination of attributes that attracted him: “a deep healthcare focus, a personalized Leadership Development Program, and an intentionally small, collaborative cohort. Those elements,” Ifeloluwa says, “promised both technical depth and a community that would know me by name.”

Still, as an international student, he was worried about finding a diverse international community and professional healthcare opportunities in Nashville. To his delight, he says, “The city delivered both.” He found the larger community welcoming and the immigrant community both sizable and prominent (one of the leaders of Nashville’s metro council is a fellow émigré from Nigeria).

The Vanderbilt community, if anything, was even more diverse and supportive. “Second years sent me their slide decks when I prepped for interviews,” Ifeloluwa recalls. “Alumni took midnight Zoom calls across time zones. That generosity turned Vanderbilt from a school into a support system.”  

He also found that the Vanderbilt Business community lifted up and celebrated the cultures of international students. He has fond memories of a Thursday evening Closing Bell gathering when members of the Owen Black Students Association taught the basics of African drumming. “It was a night without borders, truly engaging, and a beautiful sight to behold,” Ifeloluwa says. Likewise, the annual Global Food Fest—where classmates share dishes from their home countries—was “a delicious reminder that diversity isn’t a slogan at Owen; it’s dinner.”

Ifeloluwa decided to “pay it forward” by serving as a “buddy” for incoming international students. “Helping them navigate housing, U.S. banking, and culture shocks reminded me of how powerful a welcoming hand can be,” he says.

As he began the next phase of his career with the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, he believes that Vanderbilt prepared him with “the toolkit, confidence, and collaborative mindset to lead transformative healthcare innovations that put patients first. Owen,” he says, “is where ambition meets community. If you want a place that will challenge you rigorously while cheering for you loudly, this is it.”