Alumnus Tijani Osumah came to the Honors College for the financial opportunities but ended up with so much more by the time he graduated.

Tijani (or TJ, as his friends know him) graduated with a double bachelor’s in biochemistry and bioengineering in 2013. Now, he works as a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

TJ had always been interested in research. While at UTA, he worked as a researcher in the chemistry department and received numerous scholarships and accolades, including the University Scholar Award.

Back when he first arrived at UTA as an international student, TJ was motivated to join the Honors College for the scholarships to help pay for school, but along the way, he gained inspiration and long-lasting friendships from a small but driven community.

He said the challenge of Honors Courses and the professors that facilitated them gave him the diligence to work in his desired field. It was also the friendships he forged that gave him the resilience to reach his goals.

“I happened to meet probably the most motivated people on the entire campus,” he said. “Just when you think you are working hard and you’re doing all the things that you should then you meet these guys that are working even harder and going even further.”

TJ always felt like he needed to keep up with his fellow classmates even as he made big strides in his academic career.

“They all carry you along and you end up becoming great friends and awesome support system,” he said. “I still maintain many of those relationships.”

TJ earned his MD at Ross University School of Medicine in 2017.