Peniel Ogunde

Murray 1693 Scholar

Hometown

Franklin, TN (Ravenwood High School)

Academic Interests

Biology, Public Policy, Public Health

Why W&M

It’s hard to pinpoint the first time I heard about William & Mary in the collegiate context, especially as a non-Virginian. The U.S News College Rankings, a letter in the mail, a friend of a friend perhaps? Either way, by the time that August of senior year rolled around, I had a diverse array of colleges ranging from small liberal arts colleges in sylvan towns to ivy leagues in bustling cities. So, as I spent my fall semester pouring over essays, William & Mary slowly slipped away from my mind as decisions started coming back and interviews started up for the next semester. But at the end of January, something shifted when I saw the 1693 semifinalist notification in my inbox.    

All of a sudden the school that I didn’t know much about became a fixation of mine. I scoured reddit forums and the university’s website hoping to learn as much as I could about the program. I surprisingly reconnected with another semifinalist who I’d met at a conference the previous summer and we bonded not only over the beauty of the campus, but our presentations and the people that we’d already met throughout this process.

When Finalist Weekend arrived, I had already been getting ready for a busy week touring the schools that were almost an exact replica of my college list. I had no clue whether I should choose the Ivy, the lac, or the in-between. Luckily, Finalist Weekend made that decision for me. During my weekend there, I met some of the most brilliant and emotionally intelligent students I had ever had the privilege of interacting with. Students who were interning in D.C and writing research papers one week, but also playing Quiplash in the basement of Murray the next. I suddenly found myself comparing every other school to William & Mary, but at the end of the day my decision boiled down to one thing: The people. 

From those fews days spent on campus for Finalist Weekend, I could tell that the phrase “Those who come here, belong here” wasn’t just a motto, but a promise. While I know that there might be moments of doubt during my time here, I am beyond excited to get to attend a university full of students ready to change the world, one project at a time. 

High School Activities

• Captain, Speech & Debate
• Vice-President, Becoming a Ravenwood Raptor (BARR)
• Executive Council, RCCG Agape House Youth Conference
• 2025 Governor, ALA TN Girls State 
• 2025 Vice- President, ALA Girls Nation
• Vice President, Future Problem Solvers
• Competitor, HOSA
• Executive Council, Superintendent Student Advisory Council
• RHS Student Council
• Model United Nations, Youth in Government
• Governor’s School for the Humanities
• Volunteer, Brentwood Public Library
• Curriculum Team, Bioquest
• Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society
• Shadowing at Meharry Medical College

Awards / Distinctions

• RHS Salutatorian
• College Board’s National African American Recognition Award
• AP Scholar with Distinction
• 2x FPS International Qualifier
• 4th Place THSSDL State
• 2x THSSDL State Qualifier
• 6x THSSDL Locals Finalist 
• 3x Outstanding Delegate, 2x Outstanding Resolution at Middle TN Model United Nations & Youth in Government
• 4th Place HOSA State - Health Education
• Commencement Speaker for Governor’s School for the Humanities
• Outstanding Student: AP Research, AP Language & Composition, AP U.S. History