Toluwani Osibamowo, a journalism major with minors in English and Spanish from Plano, Texas, has been named the August 2022 Banner Bearer for the College of Media & Communication's commencement ceremony.
Osibamowo embodies the integrity and tenacity required of a banner bearer, which is awarded to a student of outstanding academic record. However, like many students who earn a degree from CoMC, she never expected to find such a perfect home in the Media & Communication building.
“I fully believed I would be a civil engineering major,” she said. “But it wasn't long before I came to terms with the fact that writing, language and history had been my favorite and strongest subjects. After some research, I chose journalism. It wasn't until I got to Texas Tech that I truly fell in love with the college and its people as a whole. I never looked back.”
As a student, she joined the Association for Women in Communications Student Chapter, of which she would become president during her last semester. She also worked for The Daily Toreador, the student newspaper housed within CoMC, where she started as an unpaid opinions writer before eventually becoming copy editor.
She credits the newspaper as an invaluable source for practical learning beyond the classroom.
Osibamowo also made many fruitful connections with her instructors and professors, citing Instructors Mary Ann Edwards, James Eppler, and Assistant Professor of Practice Lucinda Holt, Ph.D., as some of her most encouraging mentors.
“Not only were they excellent educators in the classroom, but they were also generous and kind with their time and counsel outside of the classroom,” she said. “They made me a better writer, and for that I will always be grateful.”
She has fond memories of Sam's Place in the CoMC basement, where she would always get a snack and coffee. A simple memory, she says it represents her assimilation to life as a college student. And now she's ready for the next chapter.
She hopes to take her degree—and the many accolades earned within—and begin a career as a freelance journalist. She believes a graduate degree is somewhere in her future, and she intends to teach in Spain.
A leader among her student body, she leaves a message for the current and future students.
“If you have any doubts about Texas Tech, just know above all else, you will find a welcoming community of faculty, staff and students who always have a kind word and a helping hand to offer.”