Joseph Olubobokun is a Renison Board member and a generous donor to the College. Time and money are both finite and therefore valued possessions. The decision to give both to a single organization is meaningful; Joseph’s story is worth sharing.
The road that led Joseph Olubobokun from Lagos, Nigeria to Waterloo, Ontario is long and complex and included lengthy detours in London, England; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Woodstock, Ontario and North Portal, Saskatchewan. Throughout his sojourning, three sign posts were constant companions on Joseph’s journey: faith, networking, and a universal language.
Joseph jokes that as an adolescent he found himself between a rock and a hard place; his dad was the rock and his mom was the hard place. Both parents valued education and led by example. Joseph’s father was the director of music for the Nigerian Army, a university instructor, a visiting lecturer and, later in life, returned to school to earn a Master of Theology degree and became an ordained Anglican minister. His mom was a schoolteacher for 37 years; she too returned to school to earn a Master’s degree, hers in in guidance counselling. There was never any doubt that education would play a significant role in Joseph’s life, he just wasn’t sure what form that education would take.
After four years of boarding school, Joseph first studied Physics at Lagos State University; not a good fit, he earned a degree in Sociology and Anthropology. Unable to find work in his chosen field, Joseph became fascinated with the world of computing. It was the early 1990’s and having a grounding in computers became a master key for advancing his career. It also proved to be a universal language that would serve Joseph well throughout his many travels. As he made his way from Lagos to London, and then to Tulsa, and ultimately Ontario, it was his proficiency with computers and the ability to provide networking and other computing support that served to open doors internationally.
Joseph is a skilled computer networking expert, and that has always served him well professionally, but it’s his natural ability to personally network that brought him to the next level. Describing himself as an “uber-extrovert,” Joseph finds that after a day working behind a screen, he needs to plug in to a social outlet to recharge his own batteries. Occasionally, he will even drive to the nearest Walmart to be in the company of people. Joseph is a peoplemagnet; if you need to find him in a crowded room, he’ll be the one holding court in a large scrum of people. At every turn, Joseph made friends with someone who would help to open a door or provide a new direction for his future.
More than anything, it was Joseph’s faith that ultimately led him to Renison. Before he was even able to pinpoint Waterloo on a world map, he learned through prayer that Ontario, Canada would be his home. While living in England, shortly after emigrating from Lagos, Joseph returned to the Church in a concerted way. Attending service three times each week, he became the de facto youth pastor for the congregation, often guiding and counselling up to 40 teenagers at a time. Most were being raised by single moms, and Joseph also became a surrogate dad. When one of these teenage boys died suddenly, Joseph had the unusual and uncomfortable feeling of being entirely out of his depth. “The penny dropped for me,” as he explained, “I needed to understand how to serve God in order to serve my community.” This realization guided Joseph to Tulsa, Oklahoma for two years of dedicated and intense Bible school and personal reflection. It was a connection he made in Tulsa that opened the door to Woodstock via Saskatchewan. The church was always a conduit to the larger community; in Woodstock, Joseph once again found himself serving his community by supporting its youth. Teen pregnancy, truancy and illiteracy were significant issues in a community that had high unemployment and limited prospects. Joseph was now better equipped to serve.
By the time Joseph landed in Waterloo, all signposts were pointing in the same direction. His personal networking and faith connected him to a pastor in Waterloo; his computing expertise landed him a job with BlackBerry. Soon, a member of the congregation who also served on the faculty at Renison, urged Joseph to bring his experience and passion for service to the Renison Board. Joseph found confidence in the community work of Renison through its School of Social Work and Social Development Studies program; he found a place for his faith in Renison’s history with the Anglican Church and commitment to pastoral care of its students; and he found the benefits of our language training programs, such as those found in our English Language Institute, as a key that will unlock doors for newcomers to Canada. Joseph found his home.
Joseph (right) with his wife (left) and son (centre) at his son’s graduation from Laurier.
Joseph (right) with his wife (left)
This is part of the 2024 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.