The fifth convocation of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State held on Saturday with the highlight of the event being the elevation of female graduating students to the institution’s roll call of academic excellence.
The best of them all, Temitope Olayiwola, who graduated from the Department of Accounting and Finance, with a first class degree, started her academic journey in Ajegunle, a slum in Lagos State.
Five hundred and fifty-two students obtained their degrees at the event. Fourteen of them obtained first class degrees; 131, second class upper division and 300, Second Class Lower Division, while 104 graduated with Third Class. The list brought the total number of students that have graduated from the school since inception to 2,500.
While Olayiwola emerged best from the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, another female, Eniola Adeoye, emerged the best from the Faculty of Humanities. There was also applause for Aderonke Fashiku, who came top in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The three girls graduated with first class degrees.
Beyond emerging best at the faculty level, the trio also led the pack in the departmental prize award. Interestingly, Adetoun Olajumoke, Rainat Adepoju, Oluwatoyin Adeleye and Salimot Olaifa – all females – also picked the departmental prize awards.
Even as the ladies took the shine of the day, there were glimpses of brilliance from Charles Sanusi, Olaitan Olukowade, Chimezie Uguzo and Adedamola Adenuga, who gave the menfolk a cause for celebration.
Olayiwola, a product of Dorcas Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Ajegunle, and Lagos State Model College in Ikorodu, who also won Bolanle Awe Prize for the Best Female Student, said she drew inspiration after attending the university’s third convocation.
“I feel so excited and happy. I give glory to God for this success. It was not easy in any way because there were distractions. But I thank God I came out with success despite all the challenges.
“When I entered the school, I never thought I would be the best among my colleagues. I just wanted to do my part and come out with a good grade that my parents would be proud of. I was encouraged after watching the third graduation ceremony held in the school. I was overwhelmed with emotion when I listened to the speech delivered by the best graduating student at the time. I set a target for myself that if someone could do it, why not me. I was determined to be the best so that I could also deliver a valedictory speech on behalf of my colleagues. Determination and focus saw me through it. I did not join any society in the school but I took part in church activities regularly.”
On the standard of academic in the school, Olayiwola said she had an erroneous impression about the standard of education offered by private universities, having spent a short period at the Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, before proceeding to Ajayi Crowther University.
She said, “Before coming to the school, I was at Kwara Polytechnic briefly and the impression I had was that private universities could never offer quality academic work. But I was wrong because when I came here, I realised that the standard is high and very competitive. You have to be at your best to succeed here. The infrastructure to succeed is also coming up because the school management continues to improve on the standard every day, which is encouraging to any serious student.”
The 25-year-old also said she would like to return to the institution one day to inspire students to academic excellence, choosing teaching profession over other jobs.
“I will like to earn further academic certificates and return to this school as a lecturer one day,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor of the school, Prof. Kolawole Jaiyeoba, said graduands of the institution were always successful in their life endeavours.
“I want to say that our students have been found worthy of character and learning. The feat of producing well-rounded graduates has been made possible by the university’s adherence to its vision and mission,” he said.
