The family rules are simple. You cheer when the New England Patriots score; you sit in silence when things aren't going well. Sure, it's only a game of football, but to the Ayorinde family, the Pats are their kindred spirit.
Ayo's father immigrated to the United States from Nigeria and took a job in Rhode Island with Amgen, a biotechnology company. He was the new hire in a new country and wanted desperately to fit in. A few coworkers were talking about the game on Sunday, and they asked Ayo's father for his pick. He didn't have one (the NFL wasn't obligatory Sunday viewing in Nigeria), so he took a wild stab and went with the Patriots. This was pre-Tom Brady when the Patriots were bad. Really bad. Ayo's father felt like an underdog in a new country, and he was now the laughing stock of the office for siding with the perennial losers. But, the Pats did something shocking that Sunday. They won.
"He's told us all the story of that pick, and the next thing you know, our family is rolling with a dynasty. If the Patriots lose, it completely ruins my dad's day. My mom wonders why he cares so much. But I understand. He has his team, and he trusts them. It's our team."
Ayo, who was born in Rhode Island, connects with the family's underdog mentality. Her dad was well off in Nigeria, but her mother was not. Ayo's parents met in Rhode Island, but both were born in Nigeria, a few hours apart, and on several occasions, they've taken the family back to Africa to visit relatives. For Ayo, it's always an eye-opening experience.
"My mom always says there's a story behind why someone lives the way they do. I always give people the benefit of the doubt, because you have no idea what circumstances led to their situation or what was beyond their control."
It's her family influence, and trips to Nigeria, that cultivated Ayo's passion for service. She traveled to Montana for a service trip in high school, and she's been to the St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia through Siena. However, it was also the influence of Ayo's family, and their heated passion for the Pats, that pointed her south, and far away from Siena.
"Football is so important to our family, that I assumed I wanted to be in the middle of major college football. I was either going to attend Clemson or Auburn. But then my best friend's dad asked me why I wasn't applying to Siena."
Grace Dobrzynski '25 had already committed to play lacrosse for the Saints, and Grace's dad figured Ayo should at least consider following her best friend to Loudonville. If not for the pandemic, Ayo might have blown the suggestion off. But COVID complicated visits south, and Ayo was instead able to see Siena through the College's innovative drive-thru tours. She decided to forego Division I football for Siena, and unlike many of her friends, she has zero regrets.
"I know a lot of people who chased their dream schools, only to transfer home. They went to places they thought would make them happiest, but it didn't feel like home. Siena has always felt like my home."
Ayo joined the lacrosse team as manager. She also works in Admissions and gives college tours.
"I like to brag about Siena and get students excited about coming here. I don't want them to chase an idea that ultimately won't make them happy."
She doesn't miss college football Saturdays because she still has the Patriots on Sundays (she gave an interview for this article in a New England sweatshirt). It's true, they've struggled the past couple of years, but Ayo isn't worried. She's always willing to bet on the underdog.
