Meet Tobi Abdulkareem | Designing and building a pathway to nine elite university acceptances and more than $153,000 in scholarships
Tobi Abdulkareem is a 2023 graduate from Rosedale Global High School’s Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) program with partner Meadowlands Canadian School, located in Nigeria. This fall, he started studying in a bachelor’s degree program in Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa, receiving an International Entrance Scholarship worth $100,000 CAD!
Tobi is thrilled with his acceptance into a program his father suggested as the best pathway to foster his mechanical and technical skill, and his affinity for creative design. Tobi’s father watched his son develop a lifelong passion for engineering and architecture inspired by the simplest pleasure—LEGO.
“I enjoy building LEGO structures, it’s a huge passion of mine. I have been creating with the blocks for as long as I can remember, and I’ve built so many things that I didn’t think were possible,” says Tobi. “I knew that it was the best program for me to continue my love of building and design.”
Tobi was accepted to engineering programs at Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Toronto Metropolitan University, The University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and York University with combined scholarships worth more than $153,000 CAD—and he believes this incredible admission success is a direct result of his choice to enroll in Rosedale’s Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) program.
Rosedale’s transformative OSSD curriculum and differentiated approach was initially a shock for Tobi—he had never before experienced the opportunity to take ownership of his learning or to create his own pathway aligned with his interests and skills.
“I recognized more opportunities to succeed in the Rosedale OSSD program because it allowed me to be more available for my own needs. Through the program, I learned how to conduct my own research, reflect on my comprehension, think critically and manage my time,” says Tobi. “All of those skills really helped me grow as a student and build confidence in myself and in my abilities as a student.”
Tobi is also grateful for Rosedale’s unique focus on global perspectives and real-world application. He is proud of a Grade 12 English project for which he researched technology’s impact on war and peace. Highlighting diverse perspectives on historical conflicts required developed competencies and cultural awareness; skills that Tobi feels prepared him to study and excel in a global university environment.
In 2022, Tobi was among select Rosedale Global High School students to earn one-on-one meetings with admissions and recruitment staff from more than 35 Global Top Universities at the inaugural Global Student Success Forum. His meeting with a representative from the University of Warwick gave him a unique opportunity to network and seek advice relevant to his personal application process. He also benefitted from an open Q&A session with the University of Ottawa, which provided insights that led to real-world outcomes—admission to their engineering program and an International Entrance Scholarship worth $100,000 CAD!
“Rosedale’s OSSD program requires students to develop cultural, academic and personal competencies, which can be difficult at times, but in the end, it’s truly worth the benefit to yourself as a student and individual,” says Tobi. “It truly was the best program for me because it opens so many doors that I wouldn’t have access to otherwise.”
