Newark Teen's Keen Debating Skills Help Earn Her A Spot In The Ivy League

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Newark Board of Education. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

When Risiqat Adeniji was applying to colleges, a supplement essay question asked for three words that best described her. Her response: Tell me more.

“I’m a big person on understanding why,” Adeniji explained. “I always have to understand why things are the way that they are.”

Adeniji’s inquisitive nature has propelled her to the Ivy League. This fall, Adeniji will attend Brown University, where she plans to study psychology on the pre-med track with aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist or neuroscientist.

For Adeniji, one of Newark Public Schools’ most accomplished student debaters, the acceptance represented more than admission to an Ivy League university. It represented the culmination of years spent sharpening her voice, expanding her understanding of the world, and developing the skills that helped her become one of the nation’s top high school debaters.

“I think that my acceptance to Brown University was only true because of how much effort I put into debate,” said Adeniji. “Debate really made me who I am.”

Earlier this year, Adeniji and her debate partner, Mofoluwa Olagadeyo, made history by advancing to the quarterfinals of the prestigious National High School Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Kentucky, the first Newark Public Schools students ever to achieve that distinction in policy debate.

The Tournament of Champions is widely regarded as the most competitive high school debate tournament in the nation, requiring students to qualify through exceptional performances at elite national competitions throughout the year.

Adeniji described how close she and Olagadeyo have become.

“Over the years, we’ve gone through a lot of struggles together – a lot of tears and sweat put into debate,” Adeniji said. “We stay for practice almost every day, practicing by ourselves, practicing at school. “We have a lot of coaches who are dedicated to our growth. And over the years, we were able to grow so much because of the investments that people made in us, as well as the support and the belief. And naturally, we were able to develop relationships with other people as well as with ourselves. But Mofoluwa is my best friend. She’s my best friend because we went through debate together.”

“Risiqat’s extraordinary accomplishments in debate, combined with her intellectual curiosity, discipline, and commitment to learning, demonstrate what is possible when students are provided with opportunities at the highest levels to discover and develop their talents,” said Superintendent León. “She has achieved excellence academically and become a thoughtful leader and scholar whose future is exceptionally bright.”

“Risiqat’s success reflects the power of perseverance, preparation, and passion,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “She has helped elevate Newark Public Schools onto the national stage through debate while also earning admission to one of the nation’s most prestigious universities. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and excited to see all she will achieve in the future.”

“Risiqat has distinguished herself as one of the most intellectually curious, disciplined, and reflective students I have had the privilege of working with,” said Principal Darleen L. Gearhart. “Her remarkable success in debate, combined with her deep interest in understanding people, ideas, and the world around her, has made her an extraordinary ambassador for Science Park High School and Newark Public Schools. Brown University is gaining a brilliant scholar, a compassionate leader, and a young woman whose voice will undoubtedly make a meaningful impact wherever her future takes her.”

Adeniji said her passion for debate stems from a natural curiosity and desire to understand how people think and communicate. And that has led her toward psychology and the study of the human mind.

“I think that there are just so many complex things that make a person who they are,” Adeniji said. “You’re not the same person now as you were two years before because there are constantly experiences that shape you into the person that you are.”

Adeniji said Brown University’s open curriculum and interdisciplinary approach appealed to her love of both the sciences and humanities.

“I love the freedom to explore,” she said. “No matter what subject it is, I always want to understand more about it.”

Beyond debate, Adeniji has also dedicated herself to community service and mentorship. She teaches younger students through the Newark Debate Institute, helping aspiring debaters from elementary schools develop their skills. She also volunteers through her local masjid, assisting with food donation programs and outreach efforts for low-income families.

An only child raised by her mother, Mariam Yusuf, Adeniji credits her mother’s unwavering support for helping her pursue her many passions, including debate, painting, and dance. In addition to competing nationally in debate, she enjoys watercolor and acrylic painting, often recreating old family photographs.

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