Jelilat Adesiyan, seasoned education expert and founder, Onamini, is bridging the gap between academics and real-world experience with a platform that helps students navigate their career paths.

Disclosing this at a media parley recently, Adesiyan stated that the reason behind creating the platform was to allow students explore various career paths and build confidence in their chosen fields.

Born in Nigeria, she grew up in a system that asked young people to define themselves too soon.

Despite initial doubts and setbacks, she challenged herself to learn math and adopted the philosophy “Practice makes better.”

She further disclosed that her experiences as a student and peer advisor led her to discover the field of Technical Communication and Rhetoric, which combined art and science in a way that resonated with her.

“I pursued a master’s degree in the same field, gaining confidence and skills that enabled me learn code, manage projects and believe in the capacity to be more than any single label,” she said.

However, it was while running her doctoral studies that Adesiyan realised the glaring gap between what students were learning and the skills needed in the workforce.

She further added that many graduates were underprepared for real-world jobs and few had the opportunity to explore careers outside their major.

“This sparked the idea for Onamini, a platform that allows students work on real-world projects with companies, regardless of their major.”

“Onamini means my path in Yoruba,” she noted. “I named it that because my own path has been full of twists, setbacks, and revelations. I wanted others, especially students, to know that they, too, can build their own path, even if they didn’t start out with all the answers,” she explained.

Through Onamini, the expert is tackling several issues in this industry, including the lack of real-world experience and the limitations of traditional academic paths.

“Too often, we tell young people to ‘pick a lane’ and stick to it,” she noted. “But in the real world, the most valuable people are the ones who understand many lanes and how they intersect.”

She further noted that Onamini was designed to foster this kind of interdisciplinary understanding, allowing students explore different fields and industries.

“This platform has helped students gain experience across industries, build confidence in unfamiliar spaces and break free from the boxes society places them in,” she said.

Today, Adesiyan is not only the founder of Onamini but also the co-founder of Qhub and has developed more than seven educational platforms.

Looking ahead, she remains focused on her mission to help students navigate their career paths and discover their true potential.

Adesiyan is a seasoned education expert and entrepreneur dedicated to empowering students and professionals with innovative solutions and real-world experiences.