her life helping to reduce the number of
first degree prior to law school admission
HIV/AIDS victims. Recently, we had a
so I decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree
chance to ask her. We learned about her
in Afro-American Studies with a minor in
mercy and God’s favor, perhaps in part
Sociology. Upon completion, I applied for
because of her compassion for His chil-
and got acceptance into law school to begin
dren—the least of these. He blew her mind
the fall after my graduation. However, one
and may just blow yours.
fateful evening, I picked up a TIME maga-
HimPower: What inspired you to get
zine article that described the pitiable HIV/
involved with the plight of orphans with
AIDS situation in Africa, with one million
HIV/AIDS and how
children orphaned by
did you expect to
the scourge. I cried.
help?
A lot of our work is with moth- My heart was broken.
Dr. Adetosoye:
And I vowed to join
ers
and
children,
so
it
is
really
Growing up in
the fight against the
fulfilling to read the success
Nigeria, I always
deadly disease that
wanted to be a
was ravaging the
stories and see the downward
lawyer. My father was
continent of Africa. I
trends
in
mortality
and
morbid-
a Law Professor and
asked around (Google
ity among women and children wasn’t available then)
I felt I had all the
qualities to become a
about how I could
around the world.
successful practicing
get involved without
attorney. I never
providing any clinical
backed down from an argument and would
services, as I wouldn’t do well with blood,
look for all evidence to support my points,
saliva, or any such body fluids. I worked
from a very young age. So I was on track -
for a public health professor at UCLA and
I graduated from high school and gained
through him, I heard about public health, a
admission into the University of Benin (Edo discipline that focuses on population-level
State, Nigeria) to study Law. However, due
health and disease prevention/control. I
to political instability, I left Nigeria and
abandoned my law school dreams and set
returned to the USA where I was born, to
about acquiring all the knowledge I could
continue my studies in peace and without
about gaining admission into the UCLA
interruption. I gained admission into UCLA School of Public Health and by the grace of
after a short stint at Fullerton College and
God, I did. That was the beginning of my
I began my quest to understand the Amer-
journey….
ican education system and how I could
HimPower: Your decision obviously took
continue my academic pursuits in the law
you from the path you and your parents had
discipline. I figured out that I needed a
initially envisioned for you. Would you do it
8 HimPower May 2017