Hello, my name is Adetola Aladetan, and this is my fundraising story. I immigrated to Minnesota from Nigeria in 1992 in hopes of giving not only my siblings the chance at an education without financial barriers but also my future children.

Growing up in a rural area of Nigeria (Ilowo, Ondo State), they only allowed young men to go to school and not women. Coming to the U.S. changed that experience not only for me but for my siblings as well.

Luckily enough, those goals have been achieved so far!

When we first started this fund, we awarded scholarships to 2 young women, Funke and Ayo, the first-ever recipients of the Minnesota Connection Scholarship Fund in 2004. Funke then attended Lagos State University, and Ayo attended Obafemi Awolowo University.

In the picture above are some of the recipients you were able to support with a donation of $635 in 2024!

The number of recipients of this fund is as follows:

2023 - Due to your fundraising efforts, we helped 21 students (16 women, 5 men) who attended various universities in Nigeria (Oaustech, Igbinedion University, University of Lagos, Police Academy, University of Medical Sciences, and many more)!

2024 - We supported 33 students (26 women, 7 men) who were attending various universities in Nigeria (Delta State University, Federal College of Agriculture, University of Medical Sciences, University of Lagos, etc).

We would love to start the program back up this year and award more scholarships to young adults from various areas in Nigeria entering 2026.

I hope that anyone in a position that allows them to do so can spare whatever amount of money they so desire to help young adults in Nigeria achieve the opportunity of undergraduate education. Thank you for your generous amount of time, and with your help, we can make those hopes and dreams a reality!

Sincerely,

Adetola Aladetan and the Aladetan Family