I Failed WASSCE — Crawford University Best Graduating Student
Twenty-one year-old Oluwatimilehin Dipo Sotubo tried to exercise self control the seven times he went to the stage to receive his prizes during the 5th convocation of Crawford University, Igbesa, in Ogun State last Wednesday.
Beneath the smiles, he was bustling with happiness about graduating with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.91 – the highest in the university. Considering that he was an average student in secondary school, who could not make the requisite papers in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in his first attempt, it was a great achievement.
Dipo won the Ernest Shonekan’s Prize for the graduating student with the most outstanding behaviour in and outside the university; Professor Peter Okebukola Science Foundation Prize for the best overall graduating student; Mrs Ngozi Osueke’s Prize for the best behaved graduating male student; Parents’ Forum Prize for overall best graduating student; Remi Olowude Prize for the graduating student with the best overall result in economics; Parents’ Forum Prize for the best graduating student in the college of Business and Social Science; Pa Simon Ajetumobi Foundation Award for the best graduating student in the College of Business and Social Sciences; and the Departmental Prize for the best graduating student in economics.
“I was not always a brilliant student,” he told The Nation. ” I failed my WASSCE and passed the second time. I was an average student. I just told myself that it was time I sat up and become the best so I dedicated all my time to reading to be the best; that was how I made it.”
Prior to coming to Crawford, Dipo had spent a year studying Medicine at the Olabisi Onabanjo University [OOU], Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. But he changed his course because of his father.
“I gained admission to study medicine but after the first year, I switched to Crawford to study Economics. I decided to change because I did not want to be like my father. He was a medical doctor and not always around. He never had our time because he was always busy and on duty.
“I didn’t want to be like him so I changed to economics. I chose economics because you can become anything. It is very wide. There were times when I felt I should have continued but I don’t regret studying economics,” he said.
Dipo would like the Apostolic Faith Mission Church, owners of Crawford University to give the school management freedom to do what they feel is best for the school, instead of interfering in the way it is run.
“I would like the church to give the school a little more leverage so that they can do some things on their own. Let them make some important decisions that have to do with the school on their own. The school management would want to do some changes but the church refuses. I have heard many times what goes on between the church and the school but I won’t tell you,” he added.
Source: The Nation
