When Mojisola Esther Afolabi sat down to study, she did not just see textbooks. She saw her father working tirelessly on the road to pay her fees.
Mojisola recently graduated as the Best Student in the Department of Geology at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) with a stellar CGPA of 4.47 out of 5.00.
As a first-generation graduate whose parents never attended college, her academic triumph is a story of deep family sacrifice.
“My parents sacrificed everything from tuition to rent,” Mojisola recalls. “Every time I read, I thought about how hard my father worked on the road. The best way to appreciate parents is to make their sacrifices worthwhile.”
From heartbreak to academic excellence
Mojisola’s journey to the top of the geosciences department began with heartbreak. Her childhood dream was to study pharmacy, but her application to the University of Ibadan was rejected.
Instead, she gained admission to study geology—a field she knew nothing about — at Federal Polytechnic, Ede. Rather than giving up, she made a silent promise to excel regardless.
“I didn’t choose geology; geology chose me,” she says. “But I chose to excel.”
Breaking the tie to finish first
The transition from polytechnic to university brought challenges like crowded lecture halls and poor electricity. To cope, Mojisola woke up early to sit at the front of her classes, attended night prep daily, and solved past questions.
Going into her final year, she discovered she was tied for the top spot with a close friend. To break the tie, she doubled her efforts and secured a perfect 5.00 GPA in both of her final semesters.
Now aiming to become a professor, Mojisola advises others: “Never allow rejection or your background to convince you that excellence is out of reach.”
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