Damilola Oyedeji is a poet. But she wants to be even more. She plans to become a professor, researcher and writer.

Oyedeji came to Missouri State University in Fall 2023 to pursue a Master’s in the English-Creative Writing track in the Department of English. She graduates this May with that degree in hand.

And now, her goal is within sight. This fall she enters the doctoral program in English at Texas Tech University.

“I have always wanted to be a professor since a young age, and for me, this is a step closer to achieving that dream,” she said.

Gaining career and scholarly experience

While studying at Missouri State, Oyedeji gained valuable career experience working as a writer for the university. She split her time writing for the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) and the university’s Strategic Communication office.

Oyedeji described her work experience as a “huge privilege and useful opportunity.”

“I have had the opportunity to interview and work with professors, alumni and students doing great things,” she said. “It has also improved my writing and given me workplace experience for professional writing. I now have both creative writing and professional writing experiences.”

Scholarly conference “a groundbreaker”

Even more importantly, Oyedeji has built a strong scholarly foundation while at Missouri State.

Encouraged and guided by Dr. Shannon Wooden and Dr. Lanya Lamouria, she gained conference experience in March when she presented her research at the Pop Culture Association’s national conference in New Orleans. It was Oyedeji’s first time to present research at a conference.

According to Wooden, the paper was already nearing publishable quality and highlighted Oyedeji’s professionalism and work ethic. “She worked on it like a scholar more than a student,” Wooden said.

Oyedeji credited Wooden with getting her to the conference in the first place. “If I can present a paper today at a conference, it’s because of her.”

She said the presentation went better than expected.

“I received some great questions and had the chance to connect with professors from other universities who were genuinely interested in my research,” Oyedeji explained. “I think the most fulfilling part was being able to say, ‘Here’s what I’ve been working on.’ After spending the past year reading and writing on this topic, presenting it felt like a meaningful milestone.”

“For someone going to doctoral school, I know I will be attending a ton of conferences, even if not to present, to network,” she added. “This is a groundbreaker for me.”

Research project a textual analysis of “The Son of the House”

Oyedeji’s research efforts focus on feminism, trauma and disability in African and African diaspora literature and culture. She explored these themes more fully in her conference paper, “Unpacking Motherhood, Trauma, and Disability: An African Feminist Reading of ‘The Son of the House.’”

Using the methodology of textual analysis, Oyedeji examined an African feminist theory, Motherism, which appears in “The Son of the House.” She expanded on this concept by looking at how Motherist ideologies grow even more complicated when disability is factored in.

“I realized that the women in the novel were made to bear the impossible task of ‘resolving’ disability and were often blamed for it,” Oyedeji noted. “So, for instance, a woman who has problems conceiving is accused of having been promiscuous before marriage and that her infertility is a result of that promiscuity. Also, if a woman only has daughters and no sons, she is considered ‘disabled,’ because she is not meeting the expectations of the novel’s patriarchal world.”

For Oyedeji, her in-depth analysis of the novel led to some revelatory conclusions.

“We cannot support women or people with disabilities if we refuse to accept disabilities as a normal part of human experience,” she explained. “Secondly, many of us are carrying around unresolved trauma, and that affects how we interact with the people and environment around us.”

She plans to continue exploring these ideas in her doctoral studies.

Thesis project highlights creative work

Meanwhile, as she crafted scholarly research and worked as a writer for the university, Oyedeji continued building her creative writing portfolio. Her thesis project is a collection of nearly 50 of her poems.

Oyedeji said her thesis committee chair, Sara Burge, has been instrumental to her success as a poet.

“She has been an incredible resource for my writing,” she said. “Since I started my graduate program and became her poetry mentee, about 80% of my published works were written and workshopped in her class. I am especially grateful for her poetry mentorship.”

“I feel lucky to have been able to work with Damilola for the past two years,” Burge said. “Beyond her exceptional talent as a poet and scholar, Dami brings a rare combination of intuition, wit and dedication to everything she does. I am so grateful to have been part of her journey.”

Writing soothes the soul

Yes, Oyedeji wants to be a professional writer and educator. But she also turns to writing for personal reflection, growth and healing.

Hailing from Lagos State, Nigeria, Oyedeji has not returned home since she came to Missouri State in 2023. She kept in touch with family and friends with video calls and formed friendships through Impact Fellowship, an African student campus organization.

“It feels like a little home away from home with them,” she said.

But even though she felt supported by her host family and her “big small family” at MSU, Oyedeji often found herself feeling homesick.

“The good thing is that I am a writer, so when everything overwhelms me, I put pen to paper, and a poem or an essay is born,” she explained. “That’s how I have learned to cope with the overwhelming feeling of homesickness. I have a collection of poems just about being homesick.”

She missed everything about Nigeria, she said, from her family to the landscape to the food. “I also cook my own Nigerian food and make sure that not a week goes by without me reminding myself what home tastes like,” she said.

More often, however, Oyedeji turned to writing to battle her homesickness. She wrote even when she missed the little things, the precious things, to soothe her soul.

“Recently, I wrote a poem about missing a particular bird that coos and calls in the morning,” she said. “It’s called the laughing dove.”

Memories to take on her new journey

For now, Oyedeji’s immediate tasks are to graduate, to move and to settle into her new academic home.

She will take with her memories of kindness and friendship at Missouri State.

The environment at MSU is pleasant, she said, with a “big school, small family vibe.” “It makes it easy for everyone to be personable and committed to bringing out the best.”

As one example, Oyedeji described how her work supervisor helped her navigate the complexities of buying a car. “She would always follow up with me to see if I had found options. She even joined me in the search.”

Oyedeji holds especially fond memories of her experience in the English department, recalling the time one of her English professors called her and her colleagues “rockstars.”

“That’s the kind of supportive and encouraging atmosphere we have in the department. The professors treat you with care and respect.”

Explore degree options in English

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Photo credits: Lynn Lansdown except where otherwise indicated.