AAUA’ Faculty of Science’s Best Graduating Student: The Story of Bukola Ademujimi -By Wonderful Adegoke

Having recently graduated from Adekunle Ajasin University Ondo State (AAUA) as the the best student from Faculty of Science, Ademujimi Bukola has demonstrated tremendous commitment and perseverance. Despite coming from humble beginnings, the Irele born – Ondo indigene has overcome numerous challenges to reach this milestone. From financial hardship to family obligations, she has had to overcome many obstacles to achieve her success.

Persuaded by parents, Bukola accepted her fate of schooling at Adekunle Ajasin University, though against her initial dream of studying Nursing Science in University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT), which was duly opposed due to the travelling distance.

“Initially, I didn’t plan to study Microbiology, because all through my secondary school days, it sounded strange to me. Though, my UTME score was enough to study Nursing Science in UNIPORT. I put in for UNIPORT, but was compelled to change my Institution to AAUA, and pick one of their best courses – as its’ widely believed that microbiology and biochemistry are the best science courses in AAUA,” Bukola revealed.

Born into a Christian family without silver spoon, Hers was a Grass to Grace story, has she wasn’t relieved of support from her happy and supportive family. Spanning over time, her love for microbiology got rekindled.

Beaming with smiles, the graduand having a CGPA of 4.84 coupled with an aesthetic feeling described hers as ‘Joy at last’. “It wasn’t actually easy,” she recalled.

Recalling her 100-level days when she’d a cumulative GPA of 4.56 was enough to gear her, she proposed to keep the energy rolling. “Though, I didn’t want to choose microbiology. I believe in the fact that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. I initially worked towards having 4.0 when I discovered my roommate was a 3.9 scale. But, I was motivated when our 100-level first semester results were released, and I was on a 4.56 scale. After having C’s in two courses during my early days in AAUA, I proposed never to have a C. My background inclusive motivated me to study hard,” she added.

Despite facing financial challenges, she wasn’t deterred, as this ignited her resilience for greater inputs.

“Mine was a sweet sad experience. It was so challenging. I lived on #500 for a week several times,” Bukola recounted.

An ardent believer in hardwork, her inputs weren’t relinquished by strict policies – marking scheme of lecturers inclusive, as acclaimed by several students.

“I study when it’s convenient for me. As soon as I get the course outline, I study it and do my research. Previous readings helped me a lot. I don’t wait until there’s a test or exam coming up – by Saturday, I make sure I’ve gone over all the material we covered during the week, so I’m prepared for any impromptu test. I made friends with like-minded colleagues. I belong to a group that’s widely recognized in the department – ‘Emerging scholars’. We the group members share knowledge together, teaching and coaching ourselves. Though, I’m not the social type, I got involved in spiritual activities.

I’m competitive by nature. Before each class, I ask my senior classmates about our lecturers We’re fortunate to have some of the best lecturers in our department. I study each lecturer, learn their quirks and habits, and tailor my approach to match their preferences. During exams, I choose the questions that are the most comprehensive, as I believe that this is the best way to demonstrate my understanding of the material. I strive for perfection and ‘A’ is my goal. A grade of ‘C’ is unacceptable to me – it’s the same as failing a course. In my first semester of 100-level, I got a ‘C’ in a course, and in SIWES 308, my second semester of 300-level. While I protested, the university was unresponsive,” she said.

Doubling as the best in Microbiology in the 2020/2021 academic session, she elucidated winning strategies for students aspiring such feats.

“Trust God, know yourself and study your lecturers. Ask questions from like-minded senior colleagues. You can do more than anyone has ever done,” she advised.

Bukola, the prodigious microbiologist isn’t only committed to impact through the knowledge gained within the four walls of campus. She’s also committed to ensuring gender equality in her future endeavours.

“Though, I’ve been given a lecturing offer. I’ll use this to impact the society with the knowledge gained. I intend to also specialize in food and industries, an aspect of microbiology. I equally have the intention of establishing a non-governmental organization (Equicare foundation) that’ll impact the society, specifically 100 and 200-level students,” she concluded.