An innovative spirit, Abiola named TRIO NM Achiever

While pursuing his associate degree at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, Wakeel Abiola ’23 fell in love with the state, which led the Lagos, Nigeria, native to Las Cruces and NMSU’s industrial engineering program. 

As an NMSU student, Abiola utilized many of the college and university resources to help him earn internships at several powerhouse technology companies. Currently working as a product sourcing engineer at Anduril Industries, Abiola previously was a technical program manager at Microsoft, where he directed a $67 million portfolio supporting Xbox Controllers. 

“At NMSU, I got the opportunities to learn from a great community that supported me through college and has continued to do so,” he says. “From being mentored by Dr. Hansuk Sohn, being supported to serve as an Industrial Engineering Student Ambassador, receiving interview and study prep from TRIO STEM-H, receiving flexibility with my schedule during my co-ops at Tesla and Intel, the NMSU community in general and the Industrial Engineering Department and STEM-H communities in particular played a huge role.” 

As a rising technical program management professional, Abiola was named the 2025 TRIO New Mexico Achiever and recognized at the Southwest Association of Student Assistance Programs Conference in November 2025 in Houston, Texas, for his exceptional leadership, innovation and impact in the technology industry. 

“I was very surprised and humbled by the recognition,” Abiola says. “There isn’t anything about me that is outstanding and I have only achieved whatever I have achieved because I have had a lot of help from friends, family, faculty and strangers.” 

“Wakeel embodies the spirit of continuous improvement and innovation,” NMSU TRIO STEM-H Director Erica Mosley says. “His achievements serve as a powerful example of what is possible when talent, discipline and opportunity intersect. We are proud to honor him for his outstanding contributions and promising future as a leader in technology and program management.” 

“TRIO SSS STEM-H was a great source of support,” Abiola says. “From the academic mentorship, the enrichment activities, structured mentorship, interview prep support and most importantly the sense of community, it was one of the pillars of my success at NMSU and I am grateful for it.”