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Lessons from Aishat Alimi, Bellstech’s best brain (2019/2020)

When a student finds herself within the four walls of Nigeria’s premier private university of technology with the catchy motto that: “Only the best is good for Bells

Bells University

The determining factors for each student’s success are grace and attitude.
Your attitude will go a long way in determining your altitude.
But mind you, the grace to excel must meet you well prepared.
And I pray that where others crawl, you will walk!
Where others walk, you will run!
And where others run, you will fly!
-Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran (Vice-Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Ota.)

Sir: When a student finds herself within the four walls of Nigeria’s premier private university of technology with the catchy motto that: “Only the best is good for Bells,” it becomes a daily motivating mantra. It becomes the pushing urge for every undergraduate to dig deep, discover the rough diamonds within, polish and bring them out for the world to see, cherish and desire.

That precisely brings to the fore the inspiring academic trajectory of Miss Aishat Gbemisola Alimi, who clinched the elusive yet prestigious award as Bells University of Technology’s Best Graduating Student for the 2019/2020 academic session. Her feat was not achieved on a platter of gold. No! She literally went through the mill. Like a piece of iron ore, she was purified through the fire!

Said she, on that momentous occasion of delivering her Valedictory Speech at the university’s 12th Convocation ceremony: “I entered the university with the mindset that studying here was going to be tough; this made me focus my energy solely on my academics.” That crucial decision was made some three years ago when she started her B.Sc in Accounting, after completing her JUPEB programme at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

This falls in touching tandem with my admonition to students through my motivational book, ‘‘How to be a Successful Student’’ © Oyoze Creative Concept, 2013, to always consider life as a race. To excel, the sprinter has to focus fully on the medals to be won at the end of the race. He/she must not be distracted by the cheers or jeers of the onlookers or spectators. These laurels of course, always go to the one who is the first to get to the finishing line. Good enough, Aishat knew this truism and she keyed into it. But there was another compelling reason for her to want to be at her best. What could that be?

As she gleefully confessed at the memorable ceremony: “The quest to make my parents, especially my father proud, was also a major driving force.” That is what is called passion- a momentum that pushes the dreamer to break out from the realm of the surreal to frontally face the hard facts of life. She wanted to please her parents, by all good means. But to do that, she had to get her priorities right and do away with all forms of distractions.

Ayo Baje.

 
 

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