Opeyemi “Yemi” Mahmood
Georgia State junior Opeyemi “Yemi” Mahmood decided long ago to pursue a career in law. Motivated by experiences in her native Nigeria, this political science major is dedicating herself to social justice and advocacy.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
Tell me about yourself and how you got to Georgia State.
I am a junior in the Honors College, majoring in political science and government with a minor in public policy. And I am an immigrant. I moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 2020, attended high school for two years, and I’ve attended Georgia State for two years.
I didn’t know anything about Georgia State when I started, but it’s been a great experience. The two years I’ve spent on campus have been life-changing and unique. I love the diversity on campus, the people I’ve met and the resources available to me.
What type of activities are you involved in at Georgia State?
I am an ambassador for The 1913 Society. Last year, I had the opportunity to serve as the president of the Black Sophomore Society and was a member of the Sankofa Society. I’m also an ambassador with the Student Alumni Association. I am the community engagement coordinator for Jumpstart, an early childhood education program at Georgia State, and I am involved with the Pre-Law Society and the Honors Student Organization. I am also doing a Panther Immersion Program this fall. We are going to Washington, D.C.
You’re doing a lot. How are you finding time to balance it all?
I am a mess sometimes, but I try to keep a schedule and make sure that whatever I can do, I do. I have a calendar and it’s my best friend at this point. I put everything on my calendar.
One of the cool things about you is that you are a Harvard Future Leaders in Law Fellow. Tell me how that came about.
The Harvard Future Leaders in Law Fellowship is a program in the Harvard Law School, and it provides a platform that helps me prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The program also provides everybody in my cohort the opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded people and with resources and individuals at Harvard Law School itself. The fellowship also provides prep work and seminars to encourage us.
It’s a wonderful program. I went to New York and we were able to visit the firm Paul | Weiss and connect with lawyers in practice and their associates. We discussed what law school was like for them but also what to expect coming out of law school and going into the corporate world. I also met Loretta Lynch, a U.S. attorney general under former President Barack Obama, which was an incredible experience.
Why do you want to go into law?
Law, for me, is something I’ve always dreamed about. At first, it stemmed from a passion for talking because I love to talk. When I was in middle school, my teachers would say, “Yemi, you talk too much. You should become a lawyer.” The first time someone told me that, I thought, “I don't know what you’re talking about, but it sounds like a pretty cool thing.” I saw lawyers on TV who looked amazing, so I said I would become a lawyer.
As I grew older, my passion for law became focused by the environment I grew up in. Growing up in Nigeria, I’ve experienced what it means to go through an unstable government and education system, where education is not fair, equal or equitable. I’ve experienced that but, most importantly, I’ve experienced violence that I don’t think anyone should be exposed to. I’ve encountered situations where people are unjustly killed and brutalized by the police, and as I watched it happen, it caused me to want to be the change.
I became passionate about educating people on their constitutional rights. I want to advocate for people and become a representative and a voice for them.
