(Bankole Alade voice over is heard. Footage of him bouncing a basketball as he prepares to throw a free throw in an indoor basketball gym.)
Schooling was never a goal. Like I never thought of schooling as being a way to get a better life for me. I thought if I didn’t make it in basketball, I wouldn’t make it at all.
(A highlight reel of Bankole Alade appears on screen as commentators marvel at his plays.)
Banky slams it that way too! An incredible performance here so far.
(Bankole Alade voice over footage of him practicing basketball cut between footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
I started playing basketball at eight years old, I was really, really bad my first couple of years. I never played basketball before. My dad’s never played basketball before and I remember watching Kobe Bryant play basketball and I was like, Wow, I didn’t know you could really do that stuff. I never seen anyone do anything like that. So after that, I actually fell in love with the game a lot more. I spend hours and hours practicing. Ever since that I’ve been playing competitively.
(Chris O’Rourke voice over footage on the basketball court as he reflects on his past experiences with Bankole Alade, cut between footage of him sitting in an office speaking to camera.)
I remember it was in the other gym and you said, coach, “If I make this from centre court, you got to play me one on one,” and he made it. So we had to play one on one. Banky replies, “I remember I won though.” My assistant coach, he was at the nationals and Banky was on team Alberta and we were searching for a particular need, which was rebounding and athletic forward. Conrad texted me right away when he was out there. After watching Alberta and Banky play and Banky he actually led the nationals in rebounding that summer. And then we have a model we try and say recruit character and teach skill. And he’s definitely was a character kid right from the beginning.
(Bankole Alade voice over footage of him taking a jog cut between footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
Early on, I didn’t do well. I was playing like zero minutes, I was probably playing about two minutes every second game. And at the same time, I was doing terrible at school. I remember at the end of my first semester, I actually almost got kicked out of university for having a super low average. I’m just saying to myself, why am I, why am I doing all this for? This doesn’t make any sense.
Black screen with white text reads, “Banky’s average was 48%. He was placed on academic probation.”
(Chris O’Rourke voice over footage of Bankole walking cut between Chris sitting in an office speaking to camera.)
Well, he struggled. He struggled academically. And he’s struggled with basketball.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him walking outside cut between footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
I even told one of my friends beforehand and I told him I was like, I’m going to talk to Chris, I’m about to quit the basketball team and I’m about to drop out of school.
(Chris O’Rourke voice over footage of him sitting in an office speaking to camera.)
I remember Conrad and I sitting down with him and saying, you know, it’s your first year, it’s a transition.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera cut between montage of shots of him on the basketball court .)
He said, Banky, we see you have a lot of potential inside of you. And he tried to make me question if I really have done everything possible. You’re not training all the time, you’re not going to workouts all the time. Like you’re not doing everything you need to, to be successful. And that’s something I never really thought about. I feel like I’ve especially early on, it was more, me not being good enough. And less of me not working hard enough.
(Chris O’Rourke voice over footage of him instructing basketball drills to Bankole.)
Let’s do a rescreen roll. Come and we’ll rescreen.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera cut between montage of shots of him training on the basketball court.)
That summer, I was training every day, I lifted every day. I feel like I noticed myself getting better from a basketball standpoint. But it is possible for me to get better at basketball by working a bit harder. Why is it not possible for me to improve the rest of my life by working a bit harder.
Black screen with white text reads, “Banky turned his focus to academics and decided to change programs. He needed a 70% average to be accepted.”
(Chris O’Rourke voice over footage of a montage of shots in the gym, communicating a play on a whiteboard to Bankole in the dressing room, into him sitting in an office speaking to camera.)
So the student athlete Mentor Program, there’s all kinds of resources there, how to write papers, study habits, there’s just a whole gamut of things that they can access, and Banky was in that I think he just felt his confidence grow.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him typing on a laptop, cut between montage of shots of him in a classroom presenting, and cut between footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
Personally, I did not like school whatsoever. But taking Marketing was such a different route than any of the other classes that I’ve taken.
Black screen with white text reads, “In his third year, Banky was accepted into the Bachelor of Commerce program at the Lang School of Business and Economics.”
They weren’t grading me on what, how much I could remember, or how much I studied beforehand. They graded me on more of how well I’m able to convey thoughts of what I’m thinking in my head, allow me to to use a different side of my brain that I wasn’t used to, that I actually enjoyed a lot more.
(Banky heard having a conversation with Kathleen Rodenburg.)
It’s going good. I mean, I’m doing digital strategy, so it’s a little bit different than what…
(Kathleen Rodenburg voiceover footage of her sitting in a room talking to Bankole cut between speaking to the camera)
I think that he found his passion. I think he found his confidence. I think he found his voice. And I think he realized that he can contribute in some way.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him presenting in a classroom.)
Tech companies who have who may have ulterior motives
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera cut between footage of him around various parts of the campus.)
The University of Guelph has a lot of resources to help students do well in school. I would tell every single student, if you want to do well on essays, go to the writing services at the Learning Center, because they’re they’re there to help and you will do better. Guaranteed. JC was the first club, I joined at Guelph, the first step of actually joining the student club was that I never thought that I would that I would do ever helped me grow a lot as a person and be in a club, you realize how important these things really are to maximizing your success at the university. But one of the things I began to realize is that no Black students would ever attend these events.
Black screen with white text reads, “In his fourth year, Banky started the Guelph Black Professionals. An organization that helps Black students connect, find mentors and professional opportunities.”
[Montage of various speakers in a video]
(Mikyas Tessema voiceover footage of him sitting in a study room speaking to camera.)
I wanted to be a part of an organization that endorsed networking between Black students and young professionals. And as soon as I saw Banky’s post, I thought this was the best place for me to have that team feeling at U of G.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him sitting in a study room speaking to Mikyas cut between him sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
There was such a big divide and that Black students were missing out. And we felt that we could easily take down these barriers that they see, and hopefully get them to capitalize on these amazing opportunities that the university has.
(Mikyas Tessema voiceover footage of him speaking to Bankole cut between sitting in a study room speaking to camera.)
The Guelph Black Professionals has shown me how to be a better leader, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. So as long as everyone is involved, and actively participating, the whole team will be successful.
(Kathleen Rodenburg voiceover footage of her sitting in a classroom speaking to camera cut between her speaking to Bankole.)
Having this organization not only helps Black students in our community, it helps everybody else think differently about the community. Everything that you’re doing is influencing and affecting people so positively. It’s so amazing. I’m so proud to know you. I mean, you’re just incredible. I think what happens is we come with voices in our head, that have been told to us our whole lives, and I see for Banky someone that might have been telling themselves wrong things about who he was. And I think as an institution and as an instructor, our opportunities help them find those voices, their real voice, who they really are.
(Bankole Alade voiceover footage of him standing in a classroom writing on a whiteboard cut between sitting in a classroom speaking to camera.)
You could find passion in any university. I think if anyone looked at me at first year I don’t think anyone would really have said, you could be going to do your Masters. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t think I could do it. I have don’t have the grades to this, but now to be where I am now. Like I have all these possibilities and all these opportunities, and it’s just so amazing to think about.
Black screen with white text reads, “As a senior, Banky captained the men’s basketball team and led the country in rebounding. He was also named to the Dean’s Honour List. Next Year he will study for his Master of Science in Digital Management at the Richard Ivey School of Business.” Cut to white screen with University of Guelph logo and tagline, Improve Life.”