UConn’s student-athletes are often lauded for their on-field achievements, but there’s an equally important – often unseen – dimension to the student-athlete. UConn Today is publishing a series of profiles to highlight the academic prowess of these student-athletes. Follow along as we profile two athletes each month, and provide an inside look at the academic pursuits of these high-achieving student-athletes.
Tosin Adeniyi ’18 (BUS)
Hometown and high school: Springfield, Illinois; Chatham-Glenwood High School
Sport: Women’s Volleyball, middle blocker
Area of study: Management Information Systems
Anticipated graduation: May 2018
Do your teammates have a nickname for you? If so, is there a story behind the nickname you’d like to share? The team mainly calls me just “Tosin”, but my best friend on the team, Kenya Cason, calls me ‘PePe’ like PePe Le Pew, the cartoon character skunk. One day we were at practice – I think sophomore year – and we were pretty delusional after a long day at school, and she said I looked like the cartoon skunk.
You lead the Huskies with 81 total blocks and have a .349 average hitting percentage, and you’re also a two-time Conference Academic All-Star. Do you have any superstitions or pre-game rituals? No, I think I am one of the only players that just goes with the flow before the games. I do like to dance and get pumped up though!
I am one of the luckiest girls to have received such an amazing education and college experience through volleyball. — Tosin Adeniyi
Have you made much use of the academic services provided for student-athletes at UConn? I think in my four years here, I have used the academic facilities the most. I have spent a lot of time in Burton on the computers and in CPIA [Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes] working on papers or studying for a test. I love being able to have a space that I know will always be available for student-athletes to use.
What are some of your academic achievements at UConn? I was on the dean’s list my sophomore year. I have been Academic All-Conference every year, and was acknowledged at ‘3.0 Night’ [in the spring] all three years so far.
‘She believed she could, so she did.’ What does this saying mean to you? This saying reminds me of why I work so hard every day and how I am able to do so. It’s not easy being an athlete, or even just a college student, but life doesn’t get any easier. I have been able to cope with all that life has thrown at me by not only believing in myself, but also believing in my strength to get through anything.
It’s your senior year. How would you summarize your experiences and the opportunities afforded to you at UConn? I can say that I am one of the luckiest girls to have received such an amazing education and college experience through volleyball. I have met some of the best people here that I will keep in contact with for the rest of my life, and have stories to laugh at for a lifetime. UConn has also helped me grow to be more independent and confident in my future.
Where do you see your degree taking you? Actually, when I finished my internship last summer, doing IT business analyst work, they offered me a full-time position. I accepted, but not in the IT world. I will be joining as an allocation analyst with the TJX Company when I leave college – so I’m combining the tech and analytic side of my brain with the thrill of the fashion world.
