From Law Aspiration to English Excellence: FUOYE Graduate's Resilient Academic Path
A determined student at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has demonstrated remarkable perseverance by graduating with a second-class upper division degree in English and Literary Studies, despite initially aiming to study law and facing multiple admission hurdles.
Four UTME Attempts and Pandemic Delays
Felix Olaoluwa Egundeyi recently celebrated his convocation on social media, reflecting on an academic journey marked by resilience. He revealed that he wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) four times before finally securing admission in 2021, following what he described as a "very depressing time of COVID-19."
Despite consistently scoring 230 and above in all his UTME attempts, Felix was initially disappointed when he received an offer for English and Literary Studies instead of his desired law program. He expressed his frustration at the time, questioning why this outcome occurred despite his strong examination performances.
Falling in Love with an Unexpected Path
According to Felix, he initially planned to transfer to the law department during his second year, but abandoned this idea after developing a genuine passion for his assigned course of study. "I fell in love with English and Literature, Semantics, Stylistics and everything attached to this course," he explained on Facebook.
His academic journey was far from smooth, with Felix acknowledging that it was "everything but easy." What should have been a four-year program extended to five years due to various academic delays and strikes that affected Nigerian universities during his study period.
Academic and Leadership Achievements
Despite these challenges, Felix emerged victorious, celebrating himself as a two-time winner of the Academic Excellence (4 pointers award) and recipient of other academic and sports medals. He also held multiple leadership positions during his time at FUOYE, including:
- General Secretary of FASA 23 Electoral Committee
- Chief Whip of the FASA SRC 23/24
- President of his academic department
- Music Director in his church
Felix expressed gratitude to God for helping him succeed in these roles without failure and thanked his parents, friends, coursemates, lecturers, and mentors for their support and impact on his life.
Social Media Reactions and Broader Context
The graduate's post attracted numerous congratulatory messages from well-wishers who celebrated his achievement and offered prayers for his future success. Comments praised his perseverance and expressed pride in his accomplishment.
This story echoes similar narratives of academic resilience among Nigerian students. Recently, a University of Ibadan law student who repeated primary school and wrote UTME four times graduated with first-class honors, while another UNILORIN graduate went viral after sharing his story of six UTME attempts before earning a first-class degree.
In a related development, FUOYE's best graduating student, Maryam Adeniyi, who achieved a 4.89 CGPA in Anatomy, previously shared how she missed studying medicine but still plans to pursue her dream in the medical field.
Felix's journey from four UTME attempts and initial course disappointment to graduating with honors in English and Literary Studies serves as an inspiring testament to academic adaptability and perseverance in Nigeria's challenging educational landscape.
