Isioma Nwosu Emerges Best Graduating Student at LASU After Initial Setback

Miss Isioma Nwosu, LASU’s best graduating student for the 2023/2024 session, overcame initial setbacks in pursuing medicine to graduate top of her class in Biochemistry with a 4.93 CGPA, inspiring others with her story of resilience and determination.

Miss Isioma Nwosu, the overall best graduating student of Lagos State University for the 2023/2024 academic session, shared her inspiring story of resilience and transformation during her valedictory speech at the university’s 28th convocation ceremony.

With a stellar cumulative grade point average of 4.93 from the Department of Biochemistry, Nwosu candidly recounted how her academic journey began with disappointment after she failed to gain admission to study her dream course, Medicine and Surgery.

Nwosu, who had graduated as the top student from her secondary school in 2019, described the discouragement she felt when she had to retake the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

“Being a valedictorian and facing the need to rewrite UTME was incredibly disheartening,” she recalled. She narrowly missed the cutoff mark for Medicine at the University of Ibadan by just two points, a setback that quickly became known among her peers, deepening her sense of failure.

Her application to LASU for Medicine and Surgery did not result in her desired placement; instead, she was offered admission into the Biochemistry program—a course she admitted she had never heard of at the time.

Upon receiving the news, Nwosu described her reaction as one of deep disappointment. However, despite early struggles to adjust, she eventually embraced her new path. With encouragement from lecturers and friends, she grew to excel in her field.

In her address, she encouraged fellow graduates to believe in themselves, regardless of their past academic challenges, and to remain diligent in pursuit of their goals.

“This chapter of your lives has proven your resilience and potential. The future is waiting for the light you carry,” she said. “Pursue your dreams boldly, and align yourselves with individuals who share your values and aspirations.”

Earlier during the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, addressed the graduating class with a message of empowerment. She urged them to take control of their stories and shape their destinies with intent and determination.

“Write your own story the way you want it to be told,” the Vice-Chancellor advised. “Rather than surrendering your future to life’s unpredictability, forge ahead with purpose.”

She extended her congratulations to the 11,917 graduates being recognized, emphasizing their excellence in both character and academics as the foundation for the degrees they received.

“Let your knowledge be a tool for driving positive change in the world,” she concluded.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, PUNCH