Daughter brings family's total of Wayne State grads to eight
By Nick Hytrek Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, May 03, 2008
Today, Seun Okubanjo, right, will the eighth member of her family to graduate from Wayne State College. Her mother, Edith, left, a 1983 Wayne State graduate, kept the graduation gown she wore and each of her children has worn it when graduating from Wayne State. (Photo by Nick Hytrek)
WAYNE, Neb. -- Edith Okubanjo unpacks the black graduation gown.
The smooth fabric shows the wrinkles resulting from time spent in storage, and Edith at first says it's too wrinkled to be photographed.
After deciding it's OK for a picture, she pulls out her own photo taken in 1983, when she wore that same black gown while receiving her business management degree from Wayne State College.
Next, she proudly produces the black cap she wore then also and holds it out to show how its quality compares to the cap given to her daughter, Seun, who will graduate today. There's no comparison, really. The new cap is light and flimsy, the older cap made of higher-quality materials, although the tassel is a slightly duller shade of gold.
Both the cap and gown have held up well over the years. They've had to. Edith and six children, soon to be seven, have all graduated from Wayne State.
"They've all worn my graduation gown and hat," Edith said.
Since Edith first traveled to Wayne from Lagos, Nigeria, to attend classes in 1981, each of her seven children has followed in her footsteps. Seun will be the last of Edith and Chief Dutun Okubanjo's children to make the long journey from their African nation to study here.
"It's really brought my children together. It gives them something to talk about," Edith said.
When Seun was ready to choose a college, there wasn't much to talk about. Even from a young age, it seemed as though she was destined to attend Wayne State.
At age 6, after returning home from a visit with her siblings that included walking from building to building with them on campus, "she was asking me, 'When am I going to Wayne? When am I going to college?'" Edith said.
Seun laughs at her mother's story.
"It just seemed like a natural choice," Seun said of Wayne State.
It had seemed that way to Edith, as well, when she first visited the campus while deciding where in the United States she wanted to go to college.
"I believe my body just agreed with Wayne," she said. "The people are friendly. Coming from Nigeria, I don't think I could have survived in a big city. Everyone I met was so friendly and willing to help me settle."
Wayne became a second home. The Okubanjos bought a trailer in which Edith and her then five children lived while she went to school. The sixth child, Afolabiyi, was born here in 1982, when Edith was a junior. After graduating, Edith returned to Nigeria and opened a gift shop, eventually getting into real estate before becoming an ordained minister and opening a school.
One by one, her children returned to Wayne, beginning with daughter Yomi.
"I think they're trying to follow my alma mater," Edith said. "It was their choice."
The family bought a house so Edith would have a place to stay while visiting her children during the holidays. It also served as a refuge for the kids when dormitory life became a little too hectic.
"It's like a little getaway," Seun said.
She laughed again, thinking back to her youthful visits to Wayne State. The campus buildings seemed so far apart then, she said, a thought that crosses her mind now and again as she walks those same paths her older brothers and sisters walked before her.
And just as her siblings once did, Seun recently tried on her mother's graduation gown, preparing for her own ceremony, the final one in the Okubanjo family.
"I hadn't really given it much thought," the mass communications major said. "Having the gown on, it dawned on me 'I am leaving Wayne.' It's been my home for four years."
Not for much longer, though. Edith tears open an envelope containing an estimate from a painter. With her children all graduated, she's touching up the house, preparing to put it on the market. She's here not just for Seun's graduation but also to pack up and move out of the house before they return to Nigeria.
After today, Edith will place her gown back into storage. Her first grandchild, due in a few months, will need one someday. Future grandchildren will, too.
"I'm going to pass it down to them," Edith said.
The gown may return to Wayne, Seun said, looking toward her own future.
"I liked Wayne so much, I'd consider sending my children here. It was a good experience."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
All seven children of Chief Dutun and Edith Okubanjo from Nigeria have graduated from Wayne State College.
Edith herself graduated from Wayne State in 1983 with a degree in business management. The children, and their degrees:
Yomi, business management
Eni, international business
Segun, business
Fola, business
Bukky, business
Afolabiyi, communications
Seun, mass communications
Wayne State officials said the school doesn't keep statistics on families that have had the most members graduate there, but the Okubanjo family would probably rank near the top.
The smooth fabric shows the wrinkles resulting from time spent in storage, and Edith at first says it's too wrinkled to be photographed.
After deciding it's OK for a picture, she pulls out her own photo taken in 1983, when she wore that same black gown while receiving her business management degree from Wayne State College.
Next, she proudly produces the black cap she wore then also and holds it out to show how its quality compares to the cap given to her daughter, Seun, who will graduate today. There's no comparison, really. The new cap is light and flimsy, the older cap made of higher-quality materials, although the tassel is a slightly duller shade of gold.
Both the cap and gown have held up well over the years. They've had to. Edith and six children, soon to be seven, have all graduated from Wayne State.
"They've all worn my graduation gown and hat," Edith said.
Since Edith first traveled to Wayne from Lagos, Nigeria, to attend classes in 1981, each of her seven children has followed in her footsteps. Seun will be the last of Edith and Chief Dutun Okubanjo's children to make the long journey from their African nation to study here.
"It's really brought my children together. It gives them something to talk about," Edith said.
When Seun was ready to choose a college, there wasn't much to talk about. Even from a young age, it seemed as though she was destined to attend Wayne State.
At age 6, after returning home from a visit with her siblings that included walking from building to building with them on campus, "she was asking me, 'When am I going to Wayne? When am I going to college?'" Edith said.
Seun laughs at her mother's story.
"It just seemed like a natural choice," Seun said of Wayne State.
It had seemed that way to Edith, as well, when she first visited the campus while deciding where in the United States she wanted to go to college.
"I believe my body just agreed with Wayne," she said. "The people are friendly. Coming from Nigeria, I don't think I could have survived in a big city. Everyone I met was so friendly and willing to help me settle."
Wayne became a second home. The Okubanjos bought a trailer in which Edith and her then five children lived while she went to school. The sixth child, Afolabiyi, was born here in 1982, when Edith was a junior. After graduating, Edith returned to Nigeria and opened a gift shop, eventually getting into real estate before becoming an ordained minister and opening a school.
One by one, her children returned to Wayne, beginning with daughter Yomi.
"I think they're trying to follow my alma mater," Edith said. "It was their choice."
The family bought a house so Edith would have a place to stay while visiting her children during the holidays. It also served as a refuge for the kids when dormitory life became a little too hectic.
"It's like a little getaway," Seun said.
She laughed again, thinking back to her youthful visits to Wayne State. The campus buildings seemed so far apart then, she said, a thought that crosses her mind now and again as she walks those same paths her older brothers and sisters walked before her.
And just as her siblings once did, Seun recently tried on her mother's graduation gown, preparing for her own ceremony, the final one in the Okubanjo family.
"I hadn't really given it much thought," the mass communications major said. "Having the gown on, it dawned on me 'I am leaving Wayne.' It's been my home for four years."
Not for much longer, though. Edith tears open an envelope containing an estimate from a painter. With her children all graduated, she's touching up the house, preparing to put it on the market. She's here not just for Seun's graduation but also to pack up and move out of the house before they return to Nigeria.
After today, Edith will place her gown back into storage. Her first grandchild, due in a few months, will need one someday. Future grandchildren will, too.
"I'm going to pass it down to them," Edith said.
The gown may return to Wayne, Seun said, looking toward her own future.
"I liked Wayne so much, I'd consider sending my children here. It was a good experience."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
All seven children of Chief Dutun and Edith Okubanjo from Nigeria have graduated from Wayne State College.
Edith herself graduated from Wayne State in 1983 with a degree in business management. The children, and their degrees:
Yomi, business management
Eni, international business
Segun, business
Fola, business
Bukky, business
Afolabiyi, communications
Seun, mass communications
Wayne State officials said the school doesn't keep statistics on families that have had the most members graduate there, but the Okubanjo family would probably rank near the top.
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Adora wrote on Jul 19, 2008 6:32 PM: