Student Social Worker of the Year

Odi is described by his first-year MA tutor as having been the “the beating heart of an especially cohesive, positive group of students”. Many others who have come into contact with him during his time at the University of Sussex feel similarly.

As well as applying a sharp intelligence and profound understanding of international social work to his studies, Odi stands out for his extra-curricular achievements as a student rep. Notable among these was managing to establish a common room for social work students – not easy on a space-starved campus – with a view to improving student cohesion.

But it wasn’t just by creating a shared space that Odi helped his coursemates develop together. As an older student, who grew up in Nigeria and had lived in other countries before settling in England, he introduced a distinctively different perspective to his predominantly young, white British, middle-class peers. This contributed to the group reflecting more deeply on questions of diversity than they might otherwise have done.

Odi’s dissertation, on shamanism, spirituality and social work, was also highlighted as offering a genuinely groundbreaking contribution to social work knowledge. There’s real excitement about where his career will lead.