From: Junaid Oludare <oludarejunaid@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2013 22:41:06 -0800 (PST)
Subject:
To: oludarejunaid@gmail.com
Seven years after an unwanted pregnancy forced her to drop out of the
University of Ilorin, Aishat Farooq emerges the best graduating
student of the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State,
reports Temitayo Famutimi
When Aishat Farooq gained admission into the University of Ilorin at
15, to study Zoology, little did she know that she was not going to be
an alumnus of the institution. That was in 2003.
Despite the fact that she was a high flyer in her first two years in
UNILORIN, the now 25-year-old indigene of Ilorin West-Local Government
Area of Kwara State got distracted along the line. She played the
campus love game and got a shocking result: she got pregnant.
It was in 2006 and in her third year. She was pregnant for a fellow
student whom she had been dating. She was disappointed in herself and
thought the whole world was crashing on her. Yet, she vowed not to
terminate the pregnancy.
Although she wanted to continue her studies in the university, she
became disillusioned and dropped out at 18. She sought consolation in
trading.
But her father, Mr. Shehu Farooq, who believed that his daughter's
academic prowess should not be wasted, was determined to get her back
on the academic track.
Today, Aishat has a different story to tell. On Saturday, she stood
tall among her peers at the 5th convocation ceremony of Bells
University, Ota, Ogun State, where she emerged the overall best
graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.93.
"The rebel in me won," she declared while giving the valedictory
address on behalf of the 208 graduating students of the university.
"I hope my story will inspire at least one person to change his or her
circumstance. I was pregnant at 18 and by 19 I was already a mother. I
had disappointed my father who believed so much in me. He had such big
dreams for me and feared the dreams would become unfulfilled," she
added.
Breaking the news of the pregnancy to her father, who was at the time
based in the northern part of the country, was not easy. Aishat's
mother, Fatima, who stayed in Lagos with the family, did not break the
"sad news" to the man until the lady was almost due. The mum feared
her husband would be too angry.
Fatima narrated to our correspondent, "Looking back, we knew her to be
very brilliant. But all of a sudden she got pregnant. Though her
father and I were always discussing on the telephone, I hid it from
him. Whenever he said he would be coming to Lagos to visit us, I would
quickly chip it in that I would like to be the one to visit. So, I
ensured I was the one always visiting him.
"That was how I managed the situation until the pregnancy was eight
months. But even when we broke the news to him, he felt really bad.
Although there was nothing he could do, he couldn't go out for three
days."
Aishat studied Business Administration with specialisation in Human
Resources Management, and received the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for the
Overall Best Graduating Student with a cash reward of N50,000 and a
plaque. She also won the College of Management Sciences Prize and
Department of Business Administration Prize for the Best Graduating
Student.
Speaking with our correspondent after she received the awards, Aishat,
whose face beamed with smiles, expressed gratitude to her dad for not
losing hope in her during her trying time.
She noted that the popularly-held notion that the child that goes
astray belongs to the mother, while the good ones belong to the
father, was not applicable in her situation as her father did not give
up on her.
Asked why her dad had so much hoped in her, she stated that her
history of academic excellence from childhood right to the university
was a major driving force.
Aishat, who attended Nazareth Nursery and Primary School, Lagos; Penny
International College, Lagos and Model Secondary School, Maitama,
Abuja, said she bagged several academic awards while growing up and
noted that she secured admission to UNILORIN the same year she
completed her secondary education.
She noted, "I did exceptionally well and bagged awards in the schools
I attended. I had the overall best result at the Senior Secondary
School Certificate level at Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja. In
fact in UNILORIN, I was on the first class grade in my first year but
in 200 Level, I dropped to second class upper division because I had
already started getting distracted by the boys.
"It just happened that things turned out the way it did. But here I
am, a product of God's unending mercies, unconditional love and grace
– all coupled with the faith my dad had in me and my fierce
determination.
"I'm a goal getter. I push myself hard. Even here (BELLSTECH) in spite
of being a mother, I was pushing for the best despite the challenges.
I wanted to make my dad proud again. Once you are determined, nothing
is impossible. Nothing can stop you."
She said her decision to study Business Administration as against the
sciences, which she was studying in UNILORIN, was informed by her
two-year experience in the world of business after she dropped out of
university.
She explained that incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, however, informed her decision to attend a private
university. "Age was no longer on my side and I wanted to do it fast.
And my dad could afford it because he was a businessman," she added.
Asked if she was involved in any relationship at the Bells, she
explained that she was a popular "snob" on campus because the majority
of male students were younger than her. Besides, she did not want to
get distracted or disappoint her parents and herself again.
Aishat, who has been posted to Lagos State to observe the mandatory
National Youth Service Corps scheme, said, "If you ask around you will
be told that I was a snob. My favourite spot was my room. I rarely
went out of the room for social events. I went to mosque. However,
when I contested for the president of my departmental association,
Business Administration Students Association, the Nigerian system
worked against me.
"I lost to my male opponent. Although I had plans to take some giant
strides if I won, especially in the academic aspect for my fellow
students, the fact that I was not the type of person who hangs out
worked against me. I didn't have a social life."
She said she has no plans for marriage for now. She wants to pursue a
master's degree programme in Human Resources in the University of
Aberdeen, Scotland. She added that she also plans to work in a
corporate environment to garner experience and afterwards go back to
the university to teach "as a way of giving back."
The second child in a family of eight children, Aishat brought her
six-year-old son, Damilola, to the convocation. It was, however,
learnt that the Edo State-born father of the boy has since got married
to another woman.
She noted that her major challenge on campus was the randomness of
classes which denied her the opportunity of spending quality time with
her son while her stay in the university lasted.
"We had visiting professors who came into the campus at anytime.
Although we had schedules, many of them had a bit of flexible time.
Sometimes on Sunday when I took permission to visit my child in Lagos,
my classmates would call me up on the phone that there was going to be
a class. Because attendance is very important, I had to rush down.
This affected me a little," she added.
Aishat's father advised parents to give their children and wards the
best of tutelage and close monitoring. He noted that he least expected
the feat achieved by his daughter as he was at a time disturbed that
"she could no longer make it."
Asked if it was lack of adequate monitoring that made Aishat go astray
at UNILORIN, he said, "Let's just say that is how God wants it. You
see, 70 per cent of the fault is on us the parents. Parents should
give their children good supervision and tutelage. With this, they
cannot derail. I thank God for her because it's is not easy to have
raised her from grass to grace.
"I screamed on the phone the day I learnt she was pregnant. I started
asking questions: When, where and how. I burst into tears. But today,
she is a new being. And I know the mistake will not repeat itself. My
expectations for her are that she should fly higher and higher."
Some other graduands who distinguished themselves were also recognised
at the convocation ceremony.
Kolawole Lawal, who finished from the Department of Economics with a
CGPA of 4.73, received the Olusegun Obasanjo's Prize for being the
best graduating student with outstanding academic performance and
leadership qualities. Former President Obasanjo who is the Chief
Promoter of the university, also attended the event.
Francis Sogunle, from the Department of Computer Science, who had a
CGPA of 4.74, received the Chancellor's Prize for excelling in
external competitions of academic nature.
At the ceremony, 208 students were awarded first degrees with Aishat
and 13 others being conferred with first class degrees, while 64 of
them got second class upper degrees; 83 bagged second class lower;
just as 43 were awarded third class degrees. Meanwhile four of the
graduands finished with pass degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Isaac Adeyemi, charged the
graduates to be patriotic and dedicated to nation building.
"Our beloved country is currently going through a rather stressful
period. All hands must be on deck to seek lasting solutions to
militancy and insurgencies and disregard for the rule of law. This is
the time to prove your worth as you can't afford to fold your arms or
sit on the fence," he observed.
http://www.punchng.com/education/pregnant-at-18-best-graduating-student-at-25/
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