色情视频

Kehinde 鈥淜ennii鈥� Ekundayo laughs with ease these days, a levity that belies having to work multiple jobs, sell her blood to pay for college in her native Nigeria, or sometimes not be able to afford groceries during her graduate studies at 色情视频.

Her high spirits stem from an email this spring from Stanford University, accepting Ekundayo into its Art History Ph.D. program.

Ranking among the top in the country, Stanford鈥檚 program is extremely selective. It typically admits fewer than eight candidates per year, according to its website.

鈥淐ertainly, I could say people who have a degree from an Ivy League institution regularly do not get admitted because it is so competitive,鈥� said Gillian Sneed, assistant professor of Art History and area coordinator for Art History and Foundations. 鈥淲e are very proud of Kennii for her achievement.鈥�

Stanford is providing Ekundayo with a fellowship that pays her tuition and living expenses for five years. For her research, she also received a supplemental award through the university鈥檚 Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Fellowship.

 This is uncharted territory for Ekundayo, who will graduate this month from 色情视频鈥檚 interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (MALAS) program.

鈥淪ince starting my undergrad at 16, when I left home, I鈥檝e had to fund myself,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd now at Stanford, I get this amazing opportunity to focus on my education and my research without having to focus on where my tuition is going to come from.鈥�

Her 色情视频 community of faculty mentors, classmates and friends expects big things.

鈥淟ook out world,鈥� said 色情视频 English and Comparative Literature Professor William Nericcio, who heads the MALAS program. 鈥淗er support package is extraordinary. For this brilliant woman who has been scrabbling together monies to cover living expenses, it could not have happened to a better person.鈥�

Hustling for Art

Raised by a single mom, Ekundayo paid her way through college in Nigeria working as a courier, cosmetics salesperson, and other odd jobs.

She began freelancing for a local artist friend, helping curate events. Prior to that, she had rarely visited a gallery or museum. Her major was French. 

During an exhibit at a hotel, Ekundayo recognized a Nigerian state governor and his entourage in the lobby.

鈥淚 ran after him, and the security was like, 鈥楪o away girl,鈥欌�� she recalled. 鈥淚 said I am trying to invite you to a show that just opened. I made a spectacle and he said, 鈥極K, I am going out now, but I will stop by when I return.鈥欌��

The official kept his word. 鈥淗e bought so many works that day. We had never sold anything like that before,鈥� she said.

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That got Ekundayo on the artist鈥檚 payroll and hooked her on the vibrant creative scene in Lagos where she began meeting people and learning all she could about contemporary African art and curating shows.

Coming to San Diego

Looking for freedom to pursue her ideas, Ekundayo quit her job. She had built relationships with prominent gallery operators and Nigerian artisans. As a newcomer to the art scene, she occasionally felt the sting of elitism. But she persisted.

鈥淭he thing about me is I say yes to everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd even if, at the end of the day, I say I do not want to do this again, at least I did something.鈥�

At a film festival in Lagos, Ekundayo met 色情视频 Professor Niyi Coker, director of the School of Theater, Television, and Film. The encounter led to a plan for a retrospective at 色情视频 of works from iconic African artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, accompanied by Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. 

She had previously worked with both men, and CNN鈥檚 featured her retrospective of Onobrakpeya鈥檚 career.  

Ekundayo curated the show and spent her life savings shipping art to the U.S. The in the 色情视频 University Art Gallery.  

鈥淔or 20 years, I took students to London for a study abroad program, and this show was of a quality that I was accustomed to in London, where the museums are amazing,鈥� said Nericcio.

Sneed also was impressed. 鈥淚 felt like this older generation, Bruce and Wole, had identified Kennii as being this bright star for their country.鈥�

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After the show, Ekundayo flew back to Nigeria. But she wanted to further her education. She had applied to a prestigious art college in the United Kingdom but could not afford to go.

Nericcio lobbied her to apply to 色情视频. 鈥淚 asked for funding,鈥� said Ekundayo. 鈥淗e said sorry, there is no funding. I was like, well, this is a dead end.鈥�

She recalls Nericcio saying, just start with the application and everything will work out.

Next Chapter

Ekundayo enrolled in August 2022. She is a paid research assistant for Nericcio, works as managing editor of 色情视频 University Press, grades papers for professors, is a teaching assistant, and makes time to participate in campus activities.

鈥淪he is very active, knows everybody, gets out there and goes to all these events, just works her butt off,鈥� said Sneed.

Ekundayo received a scholarship to travel to Brazil last summer for research on her master鈥檚 thesis, a comparative analysis of how Brazilian and Nigerian artists are shining light on climate change and flooding.

鈥淪he did a tremendous job of expanding her network on that trip in a short amount of time,鈥� said Kristal Bivona, an 色情视频 assistant professor of classics and humanities and associate director of the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies. 鈥淚t is impressive how she can contact people she has never met before, make plans and just get in there.鈥�

Ekundayo is still wrapping her head around her academic journey to Stanford, where she plans to research recent refugee artists in the U.S. She is grateful to all her mentors and supporters, especially Nericcio, who is the reason she came to 色情视频.

鈥淲hen people are kind to you, you are able to perform at your peak,鈥� she said.