[Stetson University College of Law Spring 2018 Commencement, May 19]

When Taofikat Ninalowo came to the United States from Nigeria, she was determined to make an impact on poverty in the world.

Ninalowo moved from Nigeria to Peoria, Illinois, at age 17. There, she enrolled at Illinois Central College before transferring to a larger school, Illinois State University.

Her first impact soon followed.

Ninalowo launched a UNICEF program to bring awareness to the plight of poverty. Being from Nigeria, Ninalowo was unaware of poverty’s extent across America. As an undergraduate student studying business administration, the more she learned about it, the more she began to see a career in law as a way to change people’s lives.

Consequently, she decided to pursue law school and found her way to Gulfport, Florida.

“I chose Stetson [University College of Law] because of its reputation for advocacy and legal writing, skills that translate into a good lawyer,” Ninalowo said.

As one of 10 siblings scattered across the United States, Ninalowo is part of quite an ambitious family. Brothers and sisters work in fields that range from medicine and engineering to acting, filmmaking and information technology. Ninalowo’s parents worked hard to send their children from Nigeria to America for their college educations.

At Stetson, Ninalowo pursued both J.D. and M.B.A. degrees. She became a member of the Dispute Resolution Board, a research assistant for professor Ellen Podgor and a teaching assistant for professor Joseph Morrissey. This spring, Ninalowo traveled to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Austria, Vienna, as a student-coach with the Vis team.

She joined the Dispute Resolution Board to develop as an advocate. Writing briefs for competitions helped improve her writing skills, as did participating in Stetson Law’s Honors Program. As a first-year student, Ninalowo was a Student Bar Association representative and vice president of the Public Service Fellows, and in her second year became a Stetson Student Ambassador. She tutored first-year law students in contracts, property and constitutional law, joined the Inclusive Implementation Strategy Group, and was selected as one of three student representatives for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Stetson.

Similarly, Ninalowo spent time exploring multiple workplace options: at a public-interest law firm, in-house at an overseas shipping firm and with U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie Sneed.

Ninalowo offered advice to students: “If you throw yourself out there, you might realize that’s what you want to be in life. At the same time, you can’t do it all. So, be selective and don’t just jump into an organization before you know what it’s all about.”

Finally, her business background and experiences inspired her to specialize in corporate litigation and transactional work.

“I enjoyed working with a bankruptcy practice group during my externship,” Ninalowo explained. “Consumer litigation really interests me — bringing cases for consumer plaintiffs.”

Looking back at her days at Stetson Law, Ninalowo came to one simple conclusion: “I found myself here. I want to give back.”

-Brandi Palmer

 

Stetson University College of Law Commencement

Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, Deputy Commander for Support at U.S. Cyber Command, is scheduled to present the commencement address in the Plaza Mayor Courtyard at Stetson University College of Law on May 19. A total of 268 J.D. students are expected to walk at commencement in Gulfport.