Interview with the Executives (1)

How well do you know yourself? Maybe very well.
But how well do you know the Executive members of Space Club, OAU?
If you don’t have an answer to that, now is the time to find out!

We had a special conversation with the executive team of Space Club OAU; for the sake of you, our members, and here’s what we found.

This group share a passion for the universe, as you might have expected. And what’s more, we decided to find out more about their stories, what drives their love for space, and the incredible roles they play in making the club a force to be reckoned with. Here is a peek inside the minds that keep Space Club OAU growing! 

But before then, let’s get familiar…

MEET THE STARRY-EYED COMMANDER; VICTOR ADELEKE

Every club needs a leader, but few bring the mix of burning passion and unwavering vision that Victor Adeleke brings to the Space Club. Like most of us, Victor Adeleke once gazed at the night sky wondering what was out there. He held onto that curiousitycuriousity and turned it into action. With a contagious enthusiasm and a knack for rallying people together, Victor has transformed the club into a thriving hub for space enthusiasts. 

Victor Ayomide Adeleke is a passionate, innovative final year Mechanical engineering student at Obafemi Awolowo University. He currently works as a Junior Propulsion engineer with Vortyx Space, a Nigerian start-up. He has worked on diverse engineering projects including the design of an optimised rocket engine injector and the design of a regenerative cooling thruster.  Victor’s interests include additive manufacturing, sustainable energy and engineering simulations. His work exemplifies his vision of creating a sustainable future through engineering with aspirations to shape Nigeria’s presence in global space exploration. 

MEET THE COSMIC ENGINEER; DANIEL HEALTH OGALA

Daniel Health Ogala is an ever- curious mind, fascinated by the mysteries of our planet and the universe. He brings creative ideas to life as a mechanical designer, merging form and function seamlessly. Interestingly, he also has an eye for detail and a love for the grand and the abstract. 

As a part 4 student of the mechanical engineering department, he is currently the technical lead of Space Club, OAU. In this role, he oversees programs and projects within the club with a team of other executives.

MEET THE GUARDIAN OF GALACTIC RESOURCES; SOPHIA AKANDE

Sophia Akande is a force of nature. With boundless energy that makes it impossible for her to sit still and a mind constantly racing with ideas, sharing knowledge with a mix of charm, wit, and spontaneity, she’s become a star in the Space Club and a unique figure in her department.   With aspirations to fuse her love for space and innovation, she’s on a mission to create something truly ground-breaking. 

A student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sophia is currently in Part 5, and was recently appointed as the Financial Secretary of the club. She aims to ensure financial transparency, optimize resource allocation, and improve record-keeping. By developing her financial management skills and improving herr leadership and teamwork abilities, she aspires to become a modern-day version of Neil deGrasse Tyson with robotics application. Outside her academic pursuits, she is a passionate reader and writer, though she humorously admits to avoiding school books when possible. Sophia also enjoys storytelling and loves to hear herself sing.

MEET THE ORBITAL COMMUNICATOR; MARGARET BELLA-OMUNAGBE

Margaret Bella-Omunagbe is an ambitious student currently pursuing her academic endeavors at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. She is a second-year student of Mechanical Engineering and her academic pursuits are driven by a desire to innovate and make a positive impact in her field. Hailing from Ososo, Edo State, Nigeria, Margaret is proud of her heritage and her roots which have instilled in her a deep appreciation for the values of hard work, resilience, and determination. 

Margaret serves as the Assistant Public Relations Officer of Sace Club OAU. Her role is to assist the PRO in engaging the public (with space enthusiasts as our major focus), by anchoring programs organized by the club and handling all the social media accounts of the club where they make posts about all events happening in Space Club. Margaret loves listening to music, which provides her with a sense of relaxation and inspiration. She is also a Christian, deeply committed to her spiritual values and principles. 

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Now, Let’s Get Up Close and Personal; What Exactly Did We Want to Know About Our Executives?

Well, the first is a given;

Q: What inspired you to join Space Club?

And here’s what they had to say…

Victor: I desperately wanted to be a part of a community and I had a lot of options to choose from. However, my long standing fascination with space made the decision quite easy. Joining space club was the perfect opportunity to combine my passion for space with my desire for community.

Daniel:  I was wowed, seeing what members have achieved and wanted to be a part of it. I saw an opportunity to grow to be a better space advocate, enthusiast, and engineer. I honestly had no idea people were building drones in this school at that time 

Sophia: Like I mentioned in my biography, I love astrophysics and I’ve always been curious about the innovations driving the space industry. The Space Club offered an avenue to learn and the chance to interact with like-minded folks.

Margaret:  I just liked learning new things, and I believed that joining the club would be a good way to learn a lot. I can say that I made the right choice because I’ve learnt so much already! Basically, I’ve learnt various space facts that I didn’t even imagine existed. My favourite would be my recently learnt one which is: “Asteroid 16 psyche would cost $100,000 quadrillion!”

One thing every Space enthusiast has is a favourite Space element, and we were curious, so we asked…

Q: What’s your favourite Space element and why?

Victor: Not exactly a space element but my favourite thing about space is the power and influence that comes with altitude. The higher you go, the more impact you have over everyone and everything beneath you.

Daniel: If you’ll count it as a space element, Auroras are my favourite. They happen when charged particles from the sun Interact with the earth’s upper atmosphere. They’re not as far away as star systems and constellations, or as rare as eclipses but they’re just as majestic. They are a pleasing sight, even more beautiful when you’re looking from space! It’s one thing I want to experience

Sophia: Black holes. There’s nothing I’d love more than to test its concept of time.

Margaret:  Definitely asteroids now! Because of money😂. I can’t lie, I’ve actually been really intrigued since I found out because I always just looked at asteroids as space junk so it’s kind of cool to find out that it’s extremely valuable too

But must executives only be crazy about Space? Surely, there has to be something else? Of course we had to find out! And that led us to the third question;

Q: What are your other passions outside of Space? Tell us about them.

And they wowed us with their answers…

Victor: Computer aided design. I’m obsessed with creating something from nothing.

Daniel: That would be mechanical design, automotive systems design to be specific. I find that field very interesting and I’m currently building myself in it. How different mechanisms come together to function as one. Asides the engineering field, I find myself drawn to history and arts

Sophia: My passion for robotics lies in bringing ideas to life. Literally. Like creating something that does whatever you want it to do with your own hands. I won’t lie, Power Rangers did awaken this passion in me. I wanted a Megazord so bad! And I love writing too. I enjoy informing, educating, and telling stories.

Margaret: I’d say Music. Gospel but in all genres, I don’t have favourites.

Now, we are not all work and no play in Space Club, and we wanted to know quirky facts about our Executives! Do you think yours can beat this?

Q: What’s a fun fact about you that nobody in the club knows?

Victor: I can’t lift weights. Like at all. I tried my hardest during my class hang out recently and I was only able to lift it once before the weights almost took off my head. 15kg weights at that. I don’t think it’s a hidden secret but that’s all I can think of.

Daniel: Might be weird, but I sweat on my head when I eat spicy food.

Sophia: If you see me being fidgety, it’s not my fault. I can’t help it. I just can’t sit still. 😂 I’d rather stand than sit any day. And I have the attention span of a housefly, so most of the time, I didn’t hear what you said; I’m just assuming that’s what you said. There. I talk too much. And write too much too. 😂😂😂

Margaret: It would have been that I LOVE MUSIC but I’ve already told you that, does it still count? Oh okay I know a fun fact to tell now. I don’t understand Yoruba😂

What would you do if you could do anything, where would you go if you could go anywhere? We wanted to find out where the minds of Space Club executives wander off to…

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the universe, where would that be?

Victor: I don’t know what to say o… I’d like to visit the red planet at this point.

Daniel:  I’ve always imagined being a space traveler, charting my way around the galaxy. If earth ever needs volunteers to scout new worlds and planets light years away. I’ll be glad to join in. Space is heavenly, quite literally, seeing things like black holes and distant planets. While you can’t really see black holes, you can tell them by the light they bend around.

Sophia: “I want to end it all at the centre of a black hole“

Margaret: I just like hearing about space while on earth but I’ve not really imagined myself going on a trip to explore it. Maybe the asteroid money could change my mind 😂, but for now I don’t have a particular destination in mind (in space).  But on Earth, my dream destination would be to see the Aurora Borealis.

Now for people who are stuck or scared to start, how can we help? Who else to provide assistance but the Space Club executives, right?

Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s curious about space but doesn’t know where to start

Victor: I’ll tell them to find a community of space lovers like Space club OAU connect with like minded people on social media, read, research and watch space related content. Basically continue to energise your brain with space related contents and it will become something you are constantly conscious of. 

Daniel: A curious person needs access to the right tools where his/her questions can be answered. I’ll advise that they seek someone who has been in a similar situation and has now found answers. That way this person can learn the steps to take. If I am curious about what it takes to be an astronaut, for example, I’ll need to get access to spaces where I can be better informed. And find someone who was once curious as I am, and has now established himself as an astronaut. Clubs and societies like Space Club OAU can also help. And of course, there’s endless tools on the internet.

Sophia: I’ll tell them to read books, watch videos. Let Neil deGrasse be all over your FYP. And most importantly, join a community of like-minded people. Like the Space Club OAU. We help with information, educating, and also to keep reminding you that you have to continue learning and keeping yourself updated so you don’t get lost in the conversations.

Margaret: If you don’t know where to start then you’re exactly at the point where I started. I didn’t really know much about space when I joined Space Club. At first, I thought it would be a problem being around people who would most likely be enlightened space enthusiasts but to my surprise, it wasn’t. I was ready to learn so I did just that, I learnt. So If you want to learn about space, start now. Don’t say I’ll start one day instead let today be your day one.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us today. We loved that we got to know more about you, your passions, and your role in the club, and that we get to share with everyone! We look forward to seeing all the great things you’ll achieve this session!

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Do you also look forward to the great things to be achieved this session?

Well, you’d better look forward to the second part of this exclusive interview session, where we hear from the rest of the team about their journeys and visions for the club. Trust me, you are bound to find something exciting. Until next time, stay curious and keep exploring!