Zuriel Elise Oduwole, a 22-year-old graduate of UCLA and a global education advocate, was never in her wildest dreams. At the age of 10, she saw a 12-year-old girl crying on TV because she was being forced into a marriage she did not want or understand. This led to her global education advocacy effort at the age of 10. She eventually met with the presidents of seven African countries and became a shining example of what an educated girl can do. She co-founded the nonprofit Dream Up Speak Up Stand Up to fight for equal access for girls to get educations and to end child marriages worldwide.
Oduwole was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, but it was never in her lofty plans. The winners in six categories will be announced in early October, and the prizes will be awarded on Dec. 10, on the anniversary of the death of the founder, Alfred Nobel. Oduwole is unsure which category she has been placed in, or for what specific work she is being celebrated.
The Nobel Peace Prize nomination process closed Jan. 31, and she was nominated by a professor of clinical education engineering at USC Rossier School of Education, an emeritus professor at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and a Nigerian senator. Anthony B. Maddox, the professor at USC, had never nominated anyone for the Nobel Peace Prize, adding that he didn’t nominate her for any particular category or field. Oduwole has had more than 10 years of experience, so she was eligible to be admitted under those circumstances.
If she is honored with the Nobel Peace Prize this fall, she would join an elite list of Americans who have won, including four presidents and a secretary of state. Now studying at USC to earn a doctorate in organizational change and leadership, Oduwole is a filmmaker and influencer. As an advisor, she has met with government officials and presidents of more than 21 countries, including Botswana, Caribbean Ethiopia Mexico, Jamaica, the Middle East, South Africa, and the U.S. Oduwole has been a role model for her younger sister, Azaliah, who closely watched her older sister in action.
Their older sister Arielle and younger brother Ismachiah have also contributed to the success of Dream Up Speak Up Stand Up. Patricia Oduwole, who works in information technology, is proud of her four children and the impact they have made on the world.