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, 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 declared while giving the valedictory address on behalf of the 208 graduating students of the university.
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 journalist 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.
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.
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 gotten married to another woman.
...we at SinnersChapel wishes you all the BEST in your future endeavours.
..Congrats.
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