Fisayo Afonja is a Baldwin High School Alumni who graduated in 2024 and plays volleyball for Brown University, a D1 university in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Honestly, I just loved volleyball and am competitive, which made me want to be better; that gave me the ability to play at this high level,” Afonja said.
Going from Baldwin City, Kansas to Providence, Rhode Island is a big jump.
`“Brown has the same sense of community that Baldwin has, just on a larger scale. Everyone wants to help you succeed in any way they can,” Afonja said. “The athletic community here is also big, so we are able to help each other out a lot.”
The change from high school to college can be hard. There can also be more opportunities for academics and sports.
“The change was huge from high school to college in literally every aspect. Both academics and athletics are so much more difficult,” Afonja said. “But everything is also more fun. You have so much more freedom, but also many more responsibilities.”
Emily Paget is a current senior who played with Afonja last year.
“Fisayo is a very nice person who is welcoming to all,” Paget said. Like the other seniors and strong varsity players she took on the role as one of many leaders. As a teammate, she was always down to have fun.”
Afonja also gave some advice for people trying to play sports in college.
“If you want to play sports in college, just commit to it. You have to put so much work and time into your sport, so you really have to love it, though,” Afonja said. “Just continue to work hard and push yourself and it’ll all work out how it should.”