AFRICA | A determined Nigerian lady named Bliss Celestine has fought her way through years of delays, rejections, and repeated exams to graduate from Igbinedion University with an extraordinary 4.93 first-class degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies.
Her journey, long, painful, and deeply inspiring has become a testament to resilience, scholarly excellence, and the power of refusing to give up.
Bliss Story and How She Did It
Bliss’s academic story did not begin smoothly. She spent seven long years struggling to gain university admission, rewriting JAMB four times and WAEC four times, all because of a single Literature subject that kept holding her back.
Each failed attempt brought self-doubt, fear, and the worry that her academic abilities had faded. Yet, despite the setbacks, she held onto the belief that education was still her ultimate goal.
Her breakthrough finally came in 2018 when she gained admission as a Direct Entry student. Bliss shared on her LinkedIn that she walked into Igbinedion University determined to rewrite her story.
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On her first day, she boldly told her Head of Department: “I’m not here to exist. I’m here to live, make a name, and leave with a First Class.” And she did exactly that.
In her first semester alone, she faced 18 courses and finished with straight As. She kept that momentum for years, remaining the top student in her department for three consecutive sessions, ultimately graduating as the Best Student in her Department and College.
Beyond academic excellence, Bliss was a natural leader. She served as General Secretary and later President of her Department, where she organized workshops, strengthened student volunteerism, coordinated the Global Understanding Course, and even supported lecturers as a teaching assistant.
Beyond school, her foundation led humanitarian projects that mobilized student volunteers and impacted communities.
Funding her own education, in a private university with fees running into millions, added even more weight to her journey. She worked, studied, and pushed through exhaustion and tears. Still, she refused to quit.
After doubting whether my brain could still perform…Today, it all paid off,” she said. Advising students, Bliss encouraged them not to give up and keep pushing through. ”If I could rise after seven silent years, so can you,” she added.
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