20-Year-Old Emerges Caleb Uni Best Student …With 4.8 CGPA
She faced financial and academic challenges that nearly edged her out of the institution, but Aladi’s determination kept her going until she emerged the best graduating student of Caleb University.
The Caleb University (CU) convocation ceremony held Saturday, 18th October, 2014 saw Ms. Rita Uzoamaka Aladi called several times to the podium to receive various prizes for her excellent performance in different award categories.
While many of her classmates did not win any award, Rita with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.80 out of the possible 5.0 emerged as the most brilliant and well-behaved graduating student of the set, which was the fourth in the series.
She was also the best in the College of Pure and Applied Sciences and the best in the Department of Biochemistry from where she obtained First Class honour.
In addition, she won three different endowment prizes, namely: Professor Nimbe Adebimpe and Joshua Olurunfemi prizes for the best graduating student in the College of Pure and Applied Sciences, as well as the Late Esther Olukoju Prize for the best female graduating student.
Aside from the honour she brought to herself and family, Rita, from Imo State was rewarded bountifully with cash gift for her excellent outings. Giving a valedictory speech on behalf of the set, the audience could not help but cheer her now and then as she emotionally broke down.
“Oh my God!” she said intermittently as tears rolled down from her eyes, thanking God, lecturers and parents as well as every other person who has contributed in one way or the other during their studies in the university. Shortly thereafter, Rita explained to National Mirror why she was in such an emotion-laden mood, saying her journey to success was not a ride in the park.
“I was faced with many challenges while in school. The family issue, the financial difficulty and how to sustain my grade, among others and the situation grew worse with time.
But of all these challenges, that of finance was most disturbing, especially at my final year to the extent that I almost dropped out of school. “I did hear that people dropped out of school because of money, but I never thought it could ever be me.
I was close to that situation before God came to my rescue. It is my parents and siblings and few of my friends who can really understand what I am saying and I wouldn’t want to say more than that.”
Graduating from Caleb University, according to her, isn’t all about getting a degree as students would have to earn their certificates.
You have to study hard, attend fellowship, learn about acceptable behaviour, expose to entrepreneurial skills and graduate as a total person,” she stressed.
On her relationship with male students on campus, Rita, who is preparing for the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programmee said though she was full of youthful desire to enjoy life, she tried as much as possible to maintain her chastity.
Throughout my four years in the university, she noted, I wasn’t in any relationship with opposite sex and I couldn’t explain how this happened.
“It could be because I was married to my books and I thank God for giving me the grace. So, I didn’t have a boyfriend throughout after all, there is time for everything,” she added.
