Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State has held its second convocation with two females, Ronke Oyegoke and Adeyemo Adetoun, emerging the best graduating candidates. The two were among the 20 persons that obtained first class in the combined convocation.
While 22-year-old Oyegoke, who studied Accounting, emerged the best graduating student for the 2011/2012 session, Adetoun (22) also obtained the overall best result for the 2012/2013 session. She studied Banking and Finance.
Interestingly, the duo, who spoke to our correspondent after the convocation penultimate Wednesday, acknowledged that the academic challenges from their male counterparts never intimidated them.
For them, it was hard work and the zeal to succeed in life that lifted them to the great academic heights.
Particularly for Oyegoke, the goal to make her parents proud was the sole driving force for her excellence. Besides, the youngster, who is proceeding to the Aberdeen University, Scotland to further her studies, noted that she paid less attention to social activities on campus.
She said, “What helped me to emerge as the best student for my set was just hard work.
“There were male competitors, who put in efforts, but I never felt intimidated. I knew that with focus and courage, I would achieve the goal.
“My father is a military man and he is the type that insists on hard work and I know what I am going to get if I go home without a good result, so I have to work and work.”
Adetoun also drew inspiration from the expectations of her parents, preferring hard work to frivolous activities.
She said, “Yes, I had male competitors, but I know what I came here for. Although it was not easy, I had to read hard because my parents spent so much to provide me good education.
“Here, you have to read hard. My parents are pastors, so they supported me and that really helped my academic performance.”
Further proffering tip for academic excellence to other students, Adetoun said, “My advice to them is to read very hard while in school. There will be time for fashion and fun. The four years in the university is just to enable us to concentrate on academics, nothing more.”
Speaking during the convocation, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Johnson Odebiyi, said students of the school had been posting encouraging and excellent results.
He said, “For the 2011/2012 session, 76 students graduated from the Department of Accounting, Business Administration and Economics.
“of this number, five are in the first class, 18 in the second class upper division, 43 in the second class lower division and 10 in the third class.
“In the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, 42 graduated from Medical Laboratory Science, Biochemistry, Computer and Information Systems, Microbiology and Industrial Chemistry with one student in first class, 12 in second class upper division, 21 in the second class lower division and eight in the third class.
“For the 2012/2013 session, 393 students are graduating from the College of Social and Management Sciences with 12 in the First Class, 199 in the Second Class Upper Division, 155 in the Second Class Lower Division, and 27 in Third Class.
“In the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, 100 students are graduating with two in first class, 49 in the second class upper division, 38 in second class lower division and 11 in the third class.”