The Dipo Onipede Memorial Scholarship @ Penn State Behrend
May our "Forever Brother's" Memory live on in perpetuity.
Friends,
Our family has received so many phone calls and well wishes from all over the world. We are so grateful to know how deeply Dipo was loved, with the numerous people who reached out with kindness, condolences, and wonderful memories. We wanted to be sure that we shared this amazing news with you about his Memorial Scholarship.
For Peri and I, Dipo was our “Forever Brother,” and, for all my life, it was always the three of us as siblings, friends, playmates, and each other’s support system. I knew he loved teaching and was good at it, but I did not realize the impact he had on his academic community until he passed away.
He was also the embodiment of my parent’s legacy as a family man, beloved teacher, colleague, academic, and friend to many, many people.
In addition to his wife and children, his legacy is represented in two additional things to me.
Teaching
We come from a long line of educators and education is critically important in our family. My maternal grandmother was a New York public school teacher and had her Master’s degree from Barnard/Columbia University in mathematics. Then, my father went to Colombia also and had a PhD in Political Science/Philosophy and came back to Nigeria and subsequently taught at the University of Lagos. My brother, also a graduate of Columbia University, first taught at the University of Pittsburgh and was tenured at Behrend.
The legacy that he left with his academic community was profound to me. I know my parents would be so proud of him. I am grateful that the family lineage of teaching was in his life.
I have fond memories of so many of my teachers who shaped my life and contributed to who I am today. This video on the University website shows how our brother impacted the lives of so many people, students and faculty alike.
Yoruba Heritage
The second aspect of his legacy that is remarkable is what Yoruba people call, an “Omoluabi.” The closest equivalent to me is the Yiddish word, “Mensch.” It means a “real man” in the old-fashioned sense. But more specifically, in Yoruba, it means, a man…
Who can take care of himself – Is independent, hardworking, and financially competent, and manages his finances well, and has a good name and reputation.
Who takes care of his nuclear family – Cares for his wife, sends the children to school, and invests time and resources in them to make them upright citizens and bear the family name with pride.
Who takes care of his extended family – Stays in right relationships with his entire family and always contributes as much of his resources, including finances, to them as he can. Sometimes, that is in the form of advice, or resolving issues in their lives.
Who cares for his community – Contributes to the larger community by ensuring other people also thrive and do well. The kindness and care moves beyond himself personally and improves the community at large through engagement and contribution.
Our “Forever Brother” was all these things and more. He fits the description of an “Omoluabi.”
You can view the above video by clicking on the link below and please donate to the scholarship fund.
The Scholarship Fund
Our family was happy and humbled by the fact that Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College, (Behrend) where he worked for over 20 years and was Associate Director of Academics, School of Engineering, and Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, decided to create a scholarship fund in his name.
I had to learn how this $50,000 scholarship fund works. The money in this fund will be invested, and each year, or as often as possible, they can grant a scholarship in Dipo’s name, in the amount of the interest that the investment has generated. The principal remains untouched.
That means, conservatively, if the invested funds create a return of 5% per annum, then there will be $2,500 for a deserving student at that university. Right now, the fund has only generated about $17,000, and our goal is to raise $50,000 and then continue to add to it as long as we can. $2,500 in today's educational market is awesome, but we want to make sure that students genuinely benefit from this scholarship. Therefore, the higher it is, the better for the students. The average cost per semester for a student at the same university is about $30,000 in-state and about $40,000 out-of-state.
If we do not meet the $50,000 threshold then the scholarship fund will not be viable and there will be no scholarship in his name, but the money raised will be used differently to honor his memory. We are determined to make sure that this scholarship is in his name for perpetuity.
Therefore, my request to you today is to kindly donate generously to my brother’s scholarship fund. Please, and thank you. A future student at Behrend thanks you as well.
Giving is time-sensitive. Please give once, twice, or as many times as you can. Share the link with others and let his legacy live on.
Behrend held a memorial service that was very touching as it showed how beloved he was. Please view this video and enjoy him in the context of his work life, and make a contribution.
If you have a memory of our family’s “Forever Brother,” please share it with us in the comments.
May his memory continue to be a blessing for all who encountered him and those who will be impacted by him in the future.
Thank you.