“While growing up, I had always seen health as just medicinal, but now, I know that there is more to health than just medicine,” said USF College of Public Health (COPH) undergraduate student Adesola “Sola” Orogade.

Orogade is a junior from Deltona, Fla., majoring in public health, with a minor in psychology and applied behavioral analysis. She is the first named recipient of the endowed Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP)/Alena Frey Memorial Scholarship in Public Health.

The scholarship was established through the generosity of friends and family in memory of Alena Frey, a COPH alumna who passed away in June.

Frey, a student who was beloved by so many at the COPH, was working toward her master’s in health science degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“I feel motivated and inspired by Alena Frey to keep striving to make a difference in the communities that I will live in,” said Orogade. “Alena’s determination, numerous engagements and impact on the lives of many have challenged me to do more in my community.”

Orogade said she is grateful to the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Program for “believing in me” and for naming her the first recipient, which will ultimately provide $2,500 in scholarship support to Orogade annually.  

“This scholarship means more to me than financial support. It has been an encouragement to me in many ways,” Orogade said. “I feel more motivated to study harder and to serve and learn more about the various communities that I can positively impact during and post-college without having the constant worries about financial concerns. Gaining this scholarship has challenged me and made me learn to be grateful for every little thing in my life. I am grateful to Alena Frey’s parents and family for honoring her in this way.”

“We hope that with the help of this scholarship, which we would to like to continue to grow, other like-minded students will carry on her dedication to public health, in her remembrance,” said Sophia Sorolis, Frey’s mother. “At USF, Alena discovered that her public heath passion was heath education and helping people become the best versions of themselves. We hope the recipients of this scholarship will discover their own public health passion and demonstrate compassion for people.” 

Orogade said she’s come to realize a passion for public health policy and hopes to pursue a career where she can advocate for those who need it in the future.

“I am glad and grateful to be a part of this diverse community at USF,” she said. “Every class I have taken reminds me of what public health is and its impact, and I am grateful for all the professors that have made my love for public health deepen. I’d love to dive into the law field where I can expand my knowledge of health and family law after I graduate from USF. I would also like to utilize my public health and law knowledge to advocate for health policy reform for the different populations and communities in dire need of it.”

Aside from maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Orogade has also stayed highly connected and involved with varying campus organizations. She has worked with more than 25 student groups across academic disciplines, assisting in a range of efforts from project management to planning events.

This semester she has also taken up membership in the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity Epsilon Chapter as a leadership committee chair and the COPH Health Scholars as the student coordinator.

“I love volunteering. It’s been a de-stressor for me during the semester,” Orogade said. “I love interacting with the people I meet during my volunteering experiences, and volunteering gives me a sense of happiness and purpose. I never understood the joy of helping others until I started volunteering, and this has changed me forever. As Maya Angelou said- ‘People will forget what you said, what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ I believe that effort like this is part of the entire progress that strives to make the world a better place.”

Frey, too, found many ways to stay connected and involved during her time as an undergraduate, something that has remained in the memory of many at the COPH.

“The motto of the College of Public Health is ‘our practice is our passion’ and Alena exemplified that in everything she did,” said COPH Dean Donna Petersen. “She was intellectually curious, she was a natural leader, she understood what it meant to serve her community, and she knew how to live life to the fullest. She carried the spirit of the college with her and we will always carry the spirit of Alena with us. The ability to support other students financially who share her talent and enthusiasm allows her gifts to continue to be shared and for others to be inspired by the way she practiced her passions. Sola is the perfect inaugural recipient of the scholarship. It is students like Alena and Sola who give us hope for the future, hope that the work we do at the college will be carried far and wide in service to our ultimate purpose: keeping people healthy and promoting the highest quality of life for everyone, everywhere.”

The Frey family is grateful for the outpouring of philanthropic support for the scholarship in memory of their daughter. As a gesture of thanks, and to maximize the impact this scholarship will have on the life of Sola and the students who will follow, they have committed to match any future donations made in Alena’s honor up to $5,000. To make a gift online, visit https://usf.to/AlenaFreyScholarship. For more information, contact the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program at wlp@usf.edu.   

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health