Michael and Titi Binitie always knew their son Tolulope was gifted.
When he was in the Early Head Start program, preschool teachers called them with stories about how he was eager to learn and how he caught on quickly. As a fourth grader at Springwood Elementary, Tolu continued to blow educators away by excelling in his studies.
After he passed his end of year exam with flying colors, the school’s administrators asked the Binitie family if what would happen if he took fifth-grade test.
He scored off the charts.
The parents reached out to Superintendent Rocky Hanna and that same day Tolu was advanced to the sixth grade at Cobb Middle School.
“I want to thank Rocky Hanna for helping our son. He may not remember but if it weren’t for his sense of urgency, Tolu wouldn’t have the support he needed,” Michael told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Everybody at Springwood rose up in the way they say, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ “
Now six years later, 16-year-old Tolu is valedictorian of the Godby High School’s Class of 2025. He also will graduate with an associate’s degree from Tallahassee State College. And he’s the 2024-25 student Leon County School Board member – the first Black male from Godby to serve in that role.
“It’s a proud moment for me to know that a simple act like that had such an impact on a young person’s life,” Hanna said. He said he had no idea that the student he helped all those years ago was the same one he shares the dais with at every school board meeting.
Student school board member Tolu Binitie speaks at the Tallahassee NAACP branch’s annual commemorative Dreamers and Doers Breakfast, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. The breakfast honors the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and the students who carry on his legacy.
Tolu describes his high school experience as fun, educational and foundational, even though he spends a lot of his time at Tallahassee State College taking courses like economics and chemistry.
“I came into high school one way, and I’ve come out a completely different way. I’m more confident and I’ve learned how to advocate for myself,” he said.
A first-generation college student, Tolu holds a 4.5 GPA and a membership in the National Honor Society. His favorite subject is math, and his favorite school memory was when he attended the Worlds of Work career expo during his freshman year.
He’s been accepted to Florida State University and hopes to later study obstetrics and gynecology in the College of Medicine.
“My mom went through a lot to have me and my brother,” Tolu said of his inspiration to study the profession. ” Black women go through a lot of stuff especially when having children and I look forward to joining the field to find ways to prevent it.”
Tolu’s brother, Tuedor Binitie, also graduated from Godby High at the age of 16. He is currently 19 and is enrolled in FSU’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Tolu will stay home with his family while attending FSU, he said. By the time he turns 19, he hopes to have his undergraduate degree in clinical professions, and if accepted, he could finish four years of medical school by age 22. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for OB-GYN physicians is $278,660.
Tolu Binitie is a senior at Godby High School and is the first Black male from the school to serve as the district’s student school board member.
The effect of unwavering support
During his seventh and eighth grade school years, he took classes at home as the COVID-19 outbreak shut down schools across the nation.
“It was a really big change. I know it hit a lot of students hard, but it wasn’t as bad for me because I had my mom and dad here to help me make sure I got everything done,” Tolu said.
He said his family has been a great influence on him. Both of his parents are retired.
“I love my family,” Tolu said. “It’s really nice to have my family around me and them support me because they know me.”
And he has a school family, or rather, “moms” who have his back at Godby too.
“They were like my support system here,” Tolu said of the group of teachers who have given him pep talks, love and guidance throughout his high school years.
From his father’s fixation with placing headphones playing classical music on Titi’s pregnant belly while she was carrying Tolu, to his mother pulling all-nighters with him when he had an assignment, project or study plans, Tolu said they propelled him to be successful without pushing him too hard.
“The support system is so important,” Titi Binitie said. “Knowing that your parents are there is important, and we don’t put pressure on him because that causes problems on its own.”
Tolu credits that balance for his success – knowing that he has been supported every step of the way.
Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tolu Binitie is first Black male student Leon School Board