About Tamilore
Oluwatamilore Olamide Areola, 24, was a beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend. She went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 15, 2020, after an illness. Tamilore was a precious “gift from God” who brought joy and happiness to everyone she encountered.
Early Life & Education
Born on January 10, 1996 to Akin and Moyo Areola in Lagos, Nigeria. Tamilore was the first child. Timilehin Areola and Akinlolu Areola were her siblings.
Tamilore attended Corona Primary School, Gbagada, and graduated in 2005 to continue her secondary school education at Atlantic Hall School, Poka-Epe. While there, Tamilore participated in several activities, including drama, singing, dance, and cheerleading, and served as Social Prefect on account of her congenial nature and demeanor. Tamilore performed excellently, scoring one of the highest marks in the International General Certificate Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams upon graduation in 2011.
Tamilore proceeded to the United States to begin her university undergraduate studies. She spent her first year of college at Kentucky State University in 2011 and later transferred to Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York in August 2012. At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, she completed her undergraduate studies in Public Policy, with a minor in Economics and graduated with Honors in 2015.
Tamilore was known to her professors and peers to be exceptionally hard-working, naturally intelligent, friendly, confident, disciplined, and outstandingly well-dressed.
She participated in many campus organizations and served in many leadership roles at Hobart and William Smith Colleges including Debate Society (Fall-Spring 2012), William Smith Congress (Fall 2012 to Spring 2013), the Campus Peer Ministry Treasurer (Spring 2013 to Fall 2014), and many others.
Tamilore served her nation in the mandatory one year National Youth Service (NYSC) between 2015 – 2016
Career
While at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Tamilore was a Student Intern at the Ontario County Public Health Center, Geneva, New York from July 2013 – August 2013, and the Infection Prevention and Performance Improvement Department at Geneva General Hospital, Geneva, NY from June 2013-July 2013.
During these internships, Tamilore developed a keen interest in public health and gained a lot of practical experiences.
At the National Youth Service (NYSC), 2015-2016, Tamilore served as a Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant at the African Health Project (AHP), in Lagos, Nigeria – an NGO that facilitates HIV counseling and testing.
Although she studied in the United States, she was committed to finding solutions to Nigeria’s public health problems. She spent several months as a Health Finance Intern for the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF) in Abuja, Nigeria from June 2017-Sept 2017
Tamilore also worked at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs in Accra, Ghana.
Tamilore later continued as a Graduate Research Assistant with Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs between January-March 2018.
In June 2018, Tamilore was employed at Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF) as a Senior Analyst, continuing her work in health financing and other public health strategies. Tamilore reveled in her work and found it aligned with her enthusiasm for helping others and improving health outcomes in Nigeria.
Ever eager to serve others, Tamilore would engage in several volunteer efforts and internships during her graduate studies. She served as a Research Volunteer at the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative in Baltimore, Maryland.
Other Activities
n December 2016, Tamilore Co-founded and coordinated the ARISE Homeless Outreach Program in Baltimore, Maryland. She organized monthly food drives and bi-annual gift drives to Baltimore’s homeless.
Tamilore’s volunteerism and outreach started as a young teen when she served in various ministries at her church.
Tamilore served as a Volunteer/Teen Counselor at the Solid Foundation Teens Ministry in Lagos, Nigeria.
She was also the Teens Church Coordinator at Savannah Grace Chapel, Abuja.
Oluwatamilore’s Works
An independent study deriving from Tamilore’s keen interest in public health : “A framework for Sexual-health Intervention on College Campuses using the Social Norms Approach”
An independent campus project, titled, “Sexual Health Brochure for College Students”.
Tamilore’s final master’s capstone project, entitled, “Perspectives on Options for Fiscal Space for Health in Kaduna State, Nigeria.”
While at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs in Accra, Ghana. Tamilore surveyed 59 schools and 6 districts, and many private sector companies on their workplace malaria control strategies.
Tamilore founded New Path Success Institute with the drive to inspire young entrepreneurs and start ups to believe in their dreams and make them reality.
A gift from God
Tamilore spent every day living for God and ensuring that God’s love shined through her. She will forever be remembered for her kindness, loving heart, model poses, and infectious laughs.
Recognition
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Tamilore received various awards: Certificate of Academic Excellence (2013), Laurels Honors Society for Academic Achievement and Civic Engagement, and Dean’s List honors (Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2015).
Personal Life
Tamilore had a heart for service which was rooted in her deep Christian faith.
She loved God wholeheartedly and was committed to her relationship with God. She was a prayerful, God-fearing Christian who shared her faith through service and love for others.
Tamilore was perpetually positive and constantly uplifted everyone. She shared daily Bible passages, messages, songs, and prayers with others. Tamilore believed in seeing the good in everyone. She loved people and loved to laugh and share great stories.
Her love for her family knew no limits. She doted on her father and mother and loved to spend hours recalling fond childhood memories or cooking her signature dishes. Tamilore’s depth of love for her siblings was boundless. She was exceedingly protective over them and routinely joked that although she was the smallest in stature of the three of them, as the oldest, she was their protector. She loved and proved her love for her extended family as well.
Tamilore loved fashion and was always impeccably dressed. She tailored many high fashion ensembles for herself and others. Including a wedding dress she designed and tailored from scratch for a friend. She was also known for her uniquely stylish hand bags.
In 2020, she was billed to facilitate the fashion section at a vision projection seminar for teenage girls. She wrote and sent the below profile of herself:
Tamilore is a woman that loves God, with all her heart and soul; and has committed her life to serving him, for as long as she can remember. She currently works as a public health analyst, shaping national and state-level health policy through research and strategy. She’s also a fashion designer, writer, teacher, and business owner. She’s a woman of many talents and passions. She’s unabashed about honing and expressing all of her gifts through the various platforms God gives her. God said to her years ago, “Tamilore, you can be many things and everything you want to be, if you just follow my lead”.
Her foray into fashion design was an interesting one. For as long as Tami can remember, she has always loved fashion and style. She grew up watching and learning from an ever-young and incredibly stylish mother; and learned over the years to find her own style. As a child, among other things, she always had a picture of herself as a fashion designer. In fact, she would pray pretend and act like the designers she saw on TV. She was particularly drawn to the outlandish runway designs that swept the fashion scene in the late 90s and early 2000s. Ever larger than life, She imagined herself too making bold designs that would defy status quo. Yet, she had one challenge…She hated sewing class. She could barely thread a needle, make a knot, or even create a simple back stitch. So, for most of her life, she allowed herself believe that she could never become a fashion designer….
So, how did she become the adept designer she is today, making wedding dresses for her friends, while she was barely a year into fashion school? She’s excited to share her story with you, the main message of which is this:
Get in Touch. Get Involved.