Keynote speaker Philip McHarris (far left) and University President William P. Leahy, S.J. (second from left) stand next to the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship finalists: (l-r) Julie Canuto-Depina, Tracy Aggrey-Ansong, Joy Babalola, Esther Udoakang, and Temidayo Lukan. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

MLK Jr. Scholarship finalists

Julie Canuto-Depina is the winner of Boston College's 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. The other finalists will each receive a $3,000 tuition scholarship and a $1,000 gift certificate to the Boston College Bookstore.

Tracy Aggrey-Ansong, Atlanta, Ga.
Majors: Neuroscience and Theology
Aggrey-Ansong is a Resident Assistant, co-president of the Black Christian Fellowship, and a member of the African Student Organization, SACNAS, and the First Generation Club. She participated in the Dominican Republic Service and Immersion Program. A QuestBridge Scholar, McNair Scholar, and Gateway Scholar, Aggrey-Ansong was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by Residential Life. Her long-term goal is to become a clinical research scientist in the field of neurology, focused on minoritized populations. She also wants to be an educator and advocate for minoritized populations in the healthcare system.

Joy Babalola, New York, NY
Major: Neuroscience major; minor: Medical Humanities
Babalola is a dancer and the creative designer for the PATU dance team, event coordinator for the Black Student Forum, outreach coordinator for the Black Christian Fellowship, and a resident assistant. She conducts research in Straus Family Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor Caroline Smith’s neuroscience lab. Babalola plans to pursue research in the field of medicine, where she hopes to break down the intersectional boundaries between medicine and humanity, fostering a connection between patients and physicians.

Temidayo Lukan, Malden, Mass.
Major: Philosophy; minor: Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good
A Resident Assistant for BC’s Fr. Rutilio Grande Intercultural Experience Living and Learning Community, Lukan is a member of the Student Conduct Board, a mentor for the Paul Robeson Institute, and a project leader for Bridge the Gap. He participated in the Arrupe South Africa Immersion Trip. He is an undergraduate research assistant in Assistant Professor Gregg Sparkman’s Social Change and Social Influence Lab, and he has worked at the educational start-up Fitalyst, a platform that helps to bridge the gap for first-generation students. Lukan plans to pursue graduate studies in educational policy to help create a more inclusive educational system.

Esther Udoakang, Boston, Mass.
Major: Nursing
Udoakang is the vice president of the African Student Organization, a Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing mentor, a Montserrat Student Ambassador, and a member of the Black Christian Fellowship. She also is a volunteer for the Student Admissions Program. She participated in the Arrupe Service Immersion trip to Quito, Ecuador. In addition, she won the Harvard Book Prize and the English Scholar Award. Udoakang plans for a career in nursing, with a goal of providing equitable healthcare, focusing on healthcare disparities among Black people, specifically Black women.