AFRICA| A brilliant Nigerian lady named Omolola Oke has defied all odds to graduate with first-class honours in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) after writing the JAMB examination five times.
Her inspiring journey, from multiple setbacks to academic excellence, stands as a true testament to resilience, faith, and determination.
Omolola's Story and How She Did It
Omolola’s story began back in 2011, when she graduated from secondary school at a young age, full of dreams to study Engineering. However, life had other plans.
She sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, popularly known as JAMB, five different times, determined to gain admission into her dream course despite the repeated disappointments.
Her first few attempts saw her score below the cut-off mark for Engineering. “There was one I didn’t even get up to 180, but others were above 200. I just knew what I wanted to study and refused to settle for less, ” she shared in a LinkedIn post.
One of her early JAMB results secured her a place in Agriculture at the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. She completed her degree but remained determined to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
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After her fourth JAMB attempt, Omolola attended the School of Preliminary Studies at UNILORIN, and finally, on her fifth trial, she secured admission into Water and Environmental Engineering in 2019.
Once admitted, Omolola made it her mission to prove that her years of waiting were not in vain. Her academic performance was nothing short of stellar; she earned a 4.85 CGPA, achieved a perfect 5.00 GPA twice, and became the first female first-class graduate in the history of her department.
She also emerged as the third-best graduating student overall in the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering.
Her brilliance earned her several academic awards and recognitions, including the Best Graduating Student (Department of WREE, FET, UNILORIN), Best Graduating Student of The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and the Scholar Merit Award – NSBE UNILORIN Chapter
But the success was not an overnight achievement. “There were nights I wept in silence. I went through seasons of self-doubt and exhaustion, especially balancing academics with extracurricular activities,” she confessed.
Beyond academics, Omolola was an active student leader and entrepreneur. She served as the Female Engineering Conference Chairperson, led multiple teams, mentored younger students, and successfully managed her small business alongside her studies.
“Balancing business and academics wasn’t easy,” she said, “but it taught me resilience and diligence. There’s no limit when God is at the center and you’re willing to grow through the process.”
Omolola attributed her success to God’s grace, her family’s unwavering support, and her personal drive to make a difference in her community.
“To every student reading this. I know how it feels to not feel intelligent enough. I’ve been there. But look at me now, grace, consistency, and faith in Jesus Christ can rewrite any story. It may not be easy, but it’s possible. I hope to see your own victory post someday soon,” she said
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