ELISE OSAFO

Vice President, Director of Communications and Outreach

Elise is the Co Founder of the Yarrow and Osafo Scholarship Foundation. Through scholarship, mentorship, and community engagement, she hopes to grow the organization into a pillar of support for Black and LatinX students. Elise is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a B.A in applied psychology, with a pre-law focus. With aspirations to practice entertainment law, and become one of very few black, female partners in a big law firm, Elise is working hard during her gap year to acquire the knowledge and skill set that will not only aid her in law school, but prove very beneficial for the foundation. 

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Elise’s constant movement during her childhood only fueled her desire to serve the underrepresented communities she was exposed to. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Elise has followed her parents teachings of perseverance, determination, and faith, and utilizes these values in everything she does. At UIC she was a member of African Student Council, serving as Social Media and Communications chair during the 2018-2019 year. During her time on the board, she was able to grow ASCs following by 500 as well as aiding in the implementation of their first ever scholarship. Elise was also a member of the Chance Program Scholars, the Psi Chi International Honors Society in Psychology, Collegiate 100 and the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International. She was also a recipient of the UIC President’s Award. 

Elise continues to use her talents to support the foundation. She has built a name for herself through social media, and has worked with a variety of big name companies, including BuzzFeed. She understands the importance and power of connections and hopes to utilize these skills in growing the name of the YO Scholarship Foundation. Through her efforts, she hopes she can be an example for all students after her.