Olufemi J. Watson, better known as Femi, grew up in the Pelham Parkway Housing Projects. She is a graduate of the Frederick Douglass Academy I in Harlem, class of 2009. Olufemi is the oldest of three children and was the first to go to college. It was at Frederick Douglass where her college advisor Ms. Turay gave her a scholarship application for the Juanita James Memorial Scholarship. She quickly filled it out and found out soon that she was a finalist and soon after that she was one of two winners.

Olufemi then went on to the University of Rochester, where she created her own major in Health & Medical Communication and in 2013, she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, Olufemi did two AmeriCorps years – the first with City Year New York and the second with Public Allies New York. It was in her time with AmeriCorps that she discovered her joy of working with youth, education, and program design. In August of 2016 she got to join all of these elements and started working at the post-secondary access, success and mentoring organization iMentor as a Program Manager with their regional team in NYC.

Most recently Olufemi completed her Master of Arts degree in Youth Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies in December of 2020. Currently she is still at iMentor NYC and in May 2021 was promoted to the role of Associate Director of Program for the High School program.