Most college students start school at the age of 18 and graduate four years later. But for one Cedarville University senior majoring in computer science, he’s getting a major head start.
David-Bryne Adedeji from Lagos, Nigeria is set to graduate Saturday, May 6 from Cedarville’s computer science program at the young age of 19.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Adedeji. Studying at the college level while being significantly younger than his peers was often difficult. During his sophomore year, he experienced unexpected challenges that made him question his path.
Adedeji, who now lives in Aurora, Illinois with his mother and brother, didn’t come from the average family. Growing up, Adedeji was always pushed to pursue education, and at age 15, Adedeji and his mother and brother moved to the United States so he could finish 12th grade.
One year later, the recent high school graduate was applying to colleges and universities. It was his young age that hindered him from attending some of the colleges he was looking at.
That wasn’t the case at Cedarville University, a Christian university in southwest Ohio. Rather, Cedarville accepted him immediately, causing him to take a closer look at the school of engineering and computer science and consider its programs.
A brilliant student, Adedeji came to Cedarville in 2019, at the age of 16. He decided to major in computer science and thoroughly enjoyed the rigorous coursework. It was the challenging courses and interactive lab work that confirmed he made the right decision.
“It was hard coming to Cedarville that young, though,” Adedeji admitted. “Looking back, I definitely would have done things differently.”
Adedeji’s goals and trajectory changed after his family was rocked by the sudden death of Adedeji’s father. The future suddenly seemed uncertain.
“I went into survival mode,” said Adedeji. “I was thinking, ‘I’ll just drop out, I’ll work to support my mom, we’ve got to get my brother through college.’ But I remember my mother saying, ‘Don’t worry, God has a plan and if he wants it to work out, it will.’”
Despite the personal challenges, Adedeji was able to finish school without missing any semesters. And, once he leaves the commencement stage, he will move into his first career position with 66degrees, a leading Google Cloud Premier partner in Chicago, Illinois. Adedeji’s job will enable him to work remotely while supporting his family and saving money to begin his own philanthropic work.
Record size graduation
The pomp and circumstance that one would expect at a college graduation were on display Saturday, May 6, when Cedarville University graduated 965 students — its largest class by 6% — during the 127th annual commencement ceremony in the Doden Field House. The university graduated 909 students in 2022.
This year’s class of graduates included 823 undergraduates and 123 earning a master’s or doctoral degree. Of the graduate students, 22 received their Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, which is the largest group of M.Div. graduates at Cedarville.
“It is so humbling to see the growth of our students during their 1,000 days at Cedarville University and to know they are leaving Cedarville to go into the world to make a difference for the Gospel,” said Thomas White, president.
The morning commencement included students in allied health, education, engineering and computer science, nursing, psychology, science and mathematics, and social work.
“Commencement is the culmination of years of investment and preparation for whatever profession a student may be entering,” said Fran Campbell, registrar at Cedarville University. “It’s one of the most exciting events at Cedarville as we have the opportunity to celebrate each student and their academic accomplishment.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrollment high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu