MTSU alumna cultivated community impact through EXL project as graduate student

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University alumna Bolade Onafuye, a fall health care informatics master’s graduate, became the first graduate student from her program to complete an Experiential Learning, or EXL, project that has created deep community impact.

Also an honorary member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Nigeria native blended her clinical background in dentistry with her growing expertise in health care technology to initiate a bridge between two critical fields — oral health and informatics, while serving underserved populations through education and outreach.

Middle Tennessee State University Fall 2024 graduate Bolade Onafuye, of Nigeria, poses with the infamous MTSU blue horseshoe in Walnut Grove on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn., while donning her cap and Experiential Learning Scholar cords. A health care informatics master’s major and honorary Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society member, Onafuye is the first student from her program to complete an EXL project that has developed a deep community impact. (Submitted photo)

As part of her EXL Scholars Program journey at MTSU, Onafuye designed and implemented a synchronous, hands-on oral health program for middle school refugee students in Iowa, aiming to inspire these students within the world of health care. With a focus on delivering a culturally sensitive education on oral hygiene and disease prevention, the program then empowered students to consider future dental career pathways.

“I strongly believe that true impact is when knowledge meets compassion,” said Onafuye. “By sharing what I know in a way that connects with people, I’ve seen how education can truly make a difference.”

MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science (health care informatics concentration) contains courses in information systems applications and security, project management, business intelligence/analytics, and health care law, and electives in specialty areas like Six Sigma and lean productivity systems.

Beyond the classroom, Onafuye’s broader community impact includes volunteering at organizations like Feed America First, MTSU’s student food pantry, and Interfaith Dental Clinic. She also serves as a mentor and judge in programs like Tennessee Girls in STEM and MTSU’s Scholars Week, which she believes reinforces her commitment to equity, education and service.

On top of that, Onafuye said she developed an automated work order system at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic during her internship there, where she contributed to improving how the clinic tracks maintenance issues and patient vaccine records, demonstrating her versatility in both patient-centered and tech-centered roles.

Carol Swayze, director, EXL Scholars Program — Carol Swayze

Onafuye’s EXL project and professional contributions demonstrate MTSU’s EXL mission of connecting academic knowledge with real-world impact, proving that students don’t just learn, they lead, said Carol Swayze, director of MTSU’s Experiential Learning Scholar’s Program, adding that Onafuye “has been an exemplary student, demonstrating the value of blending academic material with hands-on experience.”

In order to earn the EXL Scholar Graduation Distinction like Onafuye, students must meet several career readiness learning outcomes such as:

Developing an experience-based knowledge of their disciplines and demonstrating the ability to apply theories to concepts and practical problems.
Engaging in systematic reflection and demonstrating the ability to critically examine their experiences and to create connections between those experiences and disciplinary knowledge.
Understanding the value in making contributions in their communities.
Demonstrating managerial skills including planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating.
Developing leadership skills including interpersonal skills, ability to direct others, and teamwork.
Demonstrating research skills.

Learn more about MTSU’s EXL Scholar’s Program, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/exl/.