Signed, Sealed and Delivered 🎓!

Today, I graduate from the University of Benin with a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science. I still remember the day my dad told me that he intended to send me to Uniben in Benin City, Edo State, to study pharmacy. At the time, I didn’t have a serious future ambition, so I didn’t mind the course. However, the school? I was in a state of denial for months until he told me to list the University of Benin as my first choice on my JAMB application form. That’s when it dawned on me that this nightmare might actually happen.

When I went to take my Post-UTME exam on campus, I found myself praying—contrary to the hopes of everyone else in the hall—that I wouldn’t get in. I couldn’t deliberately fail the exam, so I did my best. I received a good grade and was accepted into the institution, but not for Pharmacy.

In 2020, partially accepting my fate, I resumed at Uniben, hoping for a course relocation. However, I went back home two weeks later and was suddenly asked to prepare for another JAMB exam, barely two weeks before the exam date. This time, I chose UNILAG because I didn’t want to leave Lagos to a foreign land (Benin?? Wym Benin???😢) . The COVID-19 lockdown halted school sessions, so I didn’t return to Uniben that year. During that time, I stayed at home and earnestly prayed for admission into UNILAG, hoping my Post-Utme grade would get me in!

In Feb 2021, I wrote the Post-UTME exam and was disappointed that I needed just 2 points to be accepted into Pharmacy. So after everything, all I had was Uniben, again.

Two weeks before I was supposed to return to Uniben, I discovered that my course of study had changed to Medical Laboratory Science. This was the first time I had ever heard of the course. I researched it online, and it wasn’t bad at all. I still wonder who I initially thought was responsible for running medical tests in hospitals before gaining that knowledge. I didn’t get any career talk and orientation, but I’d always known somewhere inside of me, that I was meant to be something medical, right from grade three. I still don’t know how the course change happened, but I see it as a special miracle from God—He literally placed this course in my hands.

I encountered so many stumbling blocks along the way. Resuming just a week before my first semester exams and getting three F grades was my biggest setback; I had never received a grade below a C before. I started attending night classes in pharmacy faculty to make up. During the course of my five sessions, I realized this is definitely the right course for me. I started to take it more seriously and be intentional, really trying to understand and retain what I was learning instead of just aiming for good grades. I’m grateful for this transformation anyway. It shaped me into the person I am today and reinforced my belief that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

Today, I’m graduating with a healthy grade (I don’t know the specific details yet, but it’s great). The feeling is overwhelmingly nostalgic. Since the beginning of my final first semester, I’ve been marking my lasts. God has been incredibly good to me—so, so good. There were days I felt so alone and faced significant hardships, but God showed me he was with me. Even in my greatest incapabilities and doubts, he held my head above the waters. Words cannot even express!

I especially want to thank God for the village he provided me. My amazing friends, my cousin-turned-friend, Mr. and Mrs. Alasan, my wonderful partner, my special guys who feel like brothers, and everyone else who made my journey a tad bit easier and more worthwhile. Every challenge has shaped me, every lesson has strengthened me and every moment has prepared me for what’s ahead.  Today, I graduate as a Medical Laboratory Scientist! I’m grateful for every twist, every hurdle, and every blessing along the way✨.

I’m excited about what life after school will look like, and I’m eager to open new chapters in my life and gain more valuable experience. Though it may feel daunting, I trust that greater things are on the horizon.  This is cheers to new beginnings, endless possibilities and a future that only gets better from here on out 🥂!

#MLSCertified #GodDidIt”

CONGRATULATIONS TO ME!!! 💃🏾🎓

Lovely,

The latest graduate.