Oluwaseyi Adelakun Selected for the Thumbs Up Guys Scholarship from Miller, Dawson, Sigal, and Ward

    NORTH CHARLESTON, SC, September 21, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Miller, Dawson, Sigal, and Ward is pleased to announce that Columbia, S.C. native Oluwaseyi Adelakun is one of three winners of the Thumbs Up Guys Scholarship. The future University of South Carolina student will receive $1,000 for her efforts developing an environmentally safe, cheap alternative to costly mosquito repellent.

Adelakun's interest in mosquito repellent stems from her trips to visit family in Nigeria, starting at the age of 11. Before her trip, she was baffled by her parents' vigorous preparation. "Every morning," she wrote, "I would wake to see my parents meticulously laying out different medications for me and my brothers to take."

The reason for that meticulous medical prep was explained to her by her father: malaria. Curious, Adelakun later learned about the horrors of the disease. Upon subsequent visits to Nigeria, she asked her family about the situation. "They explained that mosquito repellents were not easily accessible, and the malaria vaccine was extremely costly," she wrote.

Empowered by the clear need for easily accessible mosquito repellent, Adelakun began to research affordable alternatives that could be used to fight off the pesky and dangerous insects. Her research led to one possible solution: essential oils.

Now, Phase One of her research is complete. Adelakun found that thyme and mint essential oils seem to have the best repellency effect. "Since the University of South Carolina has such great research opportunities," she said in an interview, "I plan to dive more into my research specifically with thyme and mint oil."

By working with like-minded professors or students, she said, Adelakun hopes to create a tangible product that could be sold locally and expanded into an international market to help protect the most vulnerable from malaria transmission.

Oluwaseyi Adelakun will attend the University of South Carolina's Honors College in the fall of 2021, where she plans on majoring in Biological Sciences.

MDSW is known throughout South Carolina as the Thumbs Up Guys. Founded with a deep-seeded community mindset, the law firm focuses on personal injury claims. To date, the firm has achieved massive successes for its clientele, winning millions of dollars for injured and victimized people.

The Thumbs Up Guys Scholarship was created for any attendee of a South Carolina two- or four-year college or university. Its purpose was to promote actions and attitudes that center around selfless assistance for those in need. Three winners have been chosen, each of whom will receive $1,000 toward their future education.

# # #