Springfield College Senior Suraji Omoru Earns Scholarship from Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership

Springfield College Senior Suraji Omoru was recently recognized as one of 26 students and Baystate Health alumni who earned scholarship awards from the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership (BSEP). The BSEP offers Springfield high school students hospital-based learning experiences that provide opportunities to explore different careers, engage in more comprehensive observation experiences, and prepare for potential internship or employment opportunities.

Prior to enrolling at Springfield College, it was the assistance of the BSEP that helped Omoru begin his academic and personal journey to follow his passion of working in the healthcare field and helping people in his community.

“Starting at the age of 13, I was able to shadow surgeries, and I became a certified nurse assistant at age 17,” said Omoru, who worked with leaders of the BSEP to gain experience as a middle school and high school student. “I have been working at Baystate since that time while going to school. BSEP literally got me in and showed me the way. I want to be able to come back someday and serve my community, and serve those same streets where I walked.”

As a Springfield College senior, Omoru balances a full workload of classes, while also working close to 36 hours a week at Baystate.

“I am on perdiem at Baystate, so I can work whenever I want,” added Omoru. “I started working 36 hours a week at Baystate in the Observation and Infusion unit. It involves working nights, and going to school during the day, but it’s all worth it.”

Not only does Omoru balance attending classes with working full time hours, but he is also an instrumental student leader on the campus with a passion for equality for marginalized groups in the healthcare fields.

“Health and policy remain one of my main goals, specifically pushing for universal health care,” added Omoru. “I really have a passion for equity and equality in health care. Becoming a physician assistant while also getting an MPH I think will do that. Those are the next goals for me. I really want to make sure we strive to change how marginalized groups are viewed in the healthcare systems.”

Omoru has a personal plan in how he can help assist with pushing for equality in health care.

“It’s why I want to get into emergency medicine, you get to have such a wide range of patients,” said Omoru. “I want to get a few years of working like that, get a wide range of patients, and then get into building classes and programs with the knowledge I received from my career.”

Born and raised in Springfield, Mass., Omoru came to Springfield College after earning the Jesse Parks scholarship, which provids an opportunity for high school seniors of color, who live in Springfield, a chance to qualify for a full-tuition scholarship at Springfield College. Omoru’s mission is to impact the community that is home, and he is able to maintain strong relationships with teachers he had in high school, professionals he works with at Baystate, and faculty and students at Springfield College.

“I love Springfield College, I love Baystate, and I love the city of Springfield,” added Omoru. “The hospital became home to me at an early age. I was able to spend so many hours in the health sciences library at Baystate, and that became a great work space for me. I feel so comfortable at Baystate.”

Omoru added, “It’s also really special for me to pass my high school every day. I don’t think everyone realizes how much good the city of Springfield has to offer. I have a group of friends, who we are all from Springfield, and want to go to medical school. We all work at Baystate, and we all have similar dreams to go and get our phd’s and lead change for equality while helping people.”

Omoru has lived our Humanics philosophy even before arriving on the campus, and helping people is an aspect of his life that has been transformed from the many important people in his life.

“My goals of wanting to help people comes from all of the people around me in this city, and on this campus, I try to be a reflection of everyone who surrounds me,” concluded Omoru.