First time in 21 yrs, 2 graduates make first class in OAU's English Department

The graduates, Kehinde Lawal and Roheemah Arogundade finished with 4.56 CGPA.

According to Premium Times, Akinmade Akande, who is now a professor of English, is the last person to graduate from the department with a first class degree in 1997.

The university on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at its 43rd joint convocation ceremony announced Arogunadade and Lawal, both of whom graduated in 2015/2016 as record breakers of the English Department.

Speaking with Premium Times about her achievement, Lawal her background contributed to her academic success.

Obafemi Awolowo University Gate. ece-auto-gen

“My daddy was very strict about academics and he kept telling his children that his only inheritance for them was a good education and a wise child would make good use of the opportunity,” said Ms Lawal.

“My mummy too, all she wants is the best. She complains when she sees 70A and she says always that she is sure there is someone in the class with 80A.

“I have a lot of siblings, older and younger ones. I look up to my elders and try my best to impress them because I know they have their eyes on me. And, because I have so many younger siblings too, I always strive for excellence because I know they look up to me.”

Lawal also spoke told Premium Times about her life on campus saying she experienced some difficult times and also had to combine her studies with a part-time job.

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She said, “Yes, I did a lot of things as an undergraduate. I had a part-time job, I enrolled in French classes and wrote French international examinations. In part 2, I became a member of Nasels communication bureau, the press outfit of the department of English.

Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede ece-auto-gen

“Gradually, I became the Assistant Managing Editor and I was the Editor in Chief when I was in my final year. I was a member of the Nasels’ week planning committee in part 1 and 3. Also, secretary, audit committee in part 2. Generally, I was active and I had so many other things doing apart from academics.

“I experienced some really difficult times in school but I wouldn’t want to call them “challenges”. As people say, nothing good comes easy. So I take the tough times experienced as a necessity for a greater accomplishment''.

Also speaking about her academic feat, Arogundade also said her family background contributed to her academic success.

“I grew up in the family where it is believed that education is a key to unlocking countless opportunities in the outside world. That is the reason I dedicate the success to my family.”

The record breaker, however, advised the younger generation not to succumb to disappointments