A young Nigerian woman named Isiaq Basirah has inspired many on social media after sharing her long and difficult journey to gaining university admission. Basirah recently matriculated at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), and she revealed that it took her four years of persistent effort and repeated rejections before she finally succeeded.
Four Years of Waiting
The student explained that despite her strong academic performance and best efforts, she faced numerous setbacks. In a post on her TikTok account, @isiaqbasirah, she stated that she sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) twice. She also attempted A-levels to improve her chances, but none of these attempts led to an admission offer at the time.
A Last-Minute Miracle
Basirah admitted that she applied to NOUN late in the admission cycle and did not have high expectations for a positive outcome. She wrote: "POV: I decided not to give up after 4 years of trying and getting rejected back to back. I wrote JAMB twice and did A-level once despite not failing any I didn't get admitted. I applied for this school late and didn't put much hope, but God said no." The photos she shared on her page showed her beaming with smiles while wearing her matriculation gown and cap.
Social Media Reactions
The post quickly went viral, with many users congratulating her and sharing their own stories. AWANOT wrote: "Congratulations. I will wear my own too this year." OMOTAYO said: "Congratulations my love, from matriculation to convocation inshallah." Chisom reacted: "Congratulations to us, I saw you too."
