A senior at the University of Colorado in Boulder, MariaJoan Olugbode (pronounced oh-lew-bo-day) studies journalism with a double minor in sports media and business.
A child of Nigerian immigrants, Olugbode is from San Jose, Calif.
“My family is my inspiration for what I want to do in my future, said MariaJoan. “My parents moved to the United States to attend college and seek a better life. They taught us to follow our dreams and work hard in everything we do.”
MariaJoan had three older brothers who played football in college.
- Kyle Olugbode (2011-2014) played safety at Stanford.
- Kristoffer Olugbode (2013-2014) was a running back at Idaho.
- Kenneth Olugbode (2013-2016) was a middle linebacker at CU.
” I ended up enrolling at CU because of my brother,” MariaJoan added. “Since I was in eighth grade, I have known that I wanted to go to CU because of the school spirit I witnessed while walking through campus. I saw firsthand what Colorado did for my brother and wanted the same. I also knew that they had an amazing program for Journalism.”
Growing up watching her brothers play sports, MariaJoan said she “gained a passion for sports and wanted a career in the sports industry.”
MariaJoan will graduate from CU in May 2025.
“I have enjoyed my stay at Boulder for the past four years and am very proud of my accomplishments at the school,” MariaJoan noted. “I had the opportunity to work for the Sports Information Department for the past three years.:
As for contributing to the Colorado Collegiate Chronicle, MariaJoan said she hopes “to learn how to identify what questions to ask, write a blog, and make connections in this field. After graduation, I plan to use what I learn from this experience as a sports journalist.”
