Achievers University: My wife propelled me to return to school – best graduating student

Olabadeye Abraham Olasupo after obtaining a Higher National Diploma, HND, was not satisfied hence he proceeded to Achievers University Owo, Ondo State where he ended up as the best graduating student of 2016/ 2017 set with a CGPA of 4.94 in Industrial Chemistry.

He told Vanguard that his wife, Aderonke, a lecturer, propelled him to go back to school after obtaining a Higher National Diploma.

He said: “I read Industrial Chemistry and graduated with CGPA of 4.94 as the best graduating student of Achievers University. It is by God’s grace and a combination of hard work because at the beginning of each semester, I normally set a goal for myself, pen down a targeted GPA and presented it to God and I will now start working towards it with prayers.

“I grew up in a ghetto in lbadan. I was from a very poor background but I want to thank my parents for their encouragement because they have always been a source of inspiration to me and I always dream to be the best wherever I found myself and I want to thank God for making everything possible today.

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“I am 43 years old. My primary education was at Total Garden in Ibadan and my secondary school was also in Ibadan, Army Barracks Secondary School, Iwo Road, lbadan.

“I wrote JAMB just once. When I applied to this school for my BSc in Industrial Chemistry, I had a mixture of both discouragement and encouragement from friends and family, but I did not give in to them. When one of my friends asked me what else I wanted, I told him I wanted to break a record of excellence and to add value to my qualification. I had an HND background from Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti and I decided to further because of this discrimination of a thing, and I wanted to prepare myself for the future.

At your age, how did you cope?
“I received a lot of embarrassment in every office I got to during my first registration because they usually mistook me for a staff. I remember someone standing up from her seat to welcome me as a visitor in the Admissions office. I remember being registered erroneously as a staff at the Health Centre. My first time in the hostel was the worst, it was something else entirely, it was not easy but because of my determination, I adapted easily. I knew what I was looking for, and with time, we read together, ate together, slept together and played together.

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His challenges
“First was finance; it was not easy because I was on self-sponsorship and I was married. I had to tell my wife and children that this is a sacrifice they had to make for me and they agreed. And again because of age, I had to start reading all over again but I was determined to make it.
Another challenge was a decline in memory. At times, I experienced it but I had to pick up again because of the drive. It was not easy burning the midnight oil at this age.

Again, I have my family to think of and many other challenges but I was able to scale through. I emerged as the best student today but I am not the best.

The Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, who conceived the vision that birthed this citadel of higher learning, is the best.
Combining studies with domestic responsibilities

“I am married with three kids. My wife, Mrs. Aderonke Oladebeye, is a lecturer too in the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi. My wife and the kids are factors to my success. The truth is that I had to take a loan from friends, from my family. I took a loan and had to pay back. I was able to offset the loan last year. I cannot estimate the actual loan because there are expenses I cannot remember or estimate but I was able to pay my school fees every session.

Why Industrial Chemistry
“Initially, I wanted to study medicine but when medicine did not click, I found myself in the Science Laboratory Technology with Applied Chemistry during my polytechnic days, so for the course to have relevance I decided to study industrial Chemistry for my BSc.

What propelled him going back to school
“My wife is a factor behind my dream of going back to school and I am grateful to her. I had no regrets throughout my period of study. I have no regret because I have something I was targeting and I was focused. The most important thing now is that I have achieved it.

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