My dad sold his bus to pay my tuition – Ilaro Poly’s best graduating student

Modupe Ayangbenro has emerged as the best National Diploma (ND) graduating student of the Federal Polytechnics, Ilaro, Ogun State, despite serious financial challenges.

Ayangbenro was the cynosure of all eyes at the recent convocation of the institution where she bagged several awards for her sterling academic performances.

She was named the overall best ND graduating student; overall best student in School of Communication and Information Technology; overall best student in Mass Communication of full-time and part-time classes.

Recalling the challenges she faced, she said her father at a point had to sell his bus to pay for her tuition.

According to him: “I didn’t expect to be the overall best ND graduating student in FPI though I prayed for it.

“I felt like I am dreaming. I am surprised and really grateful to God because to me, it looked like a miracle and a prayer coming through.

“This is because I am always longing to receive awards and make my parent proud. At a point, my father had to sell his bus to pay for my tuition.

“My challenges in school were financial support and oppression coming from an average home. I didn’t collect much for pocket money.

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“Like in my first year, my parents sent me N5000 as food money and other expenses for the whole month, which was not even enough for a week not to talk of a month.”

Ayangbenro pointed out that as a Mass Communication student, she had to undergo many practicals, which required a lot of finances.

So, she was forced to reserve N3, 000 for feeding and keep the N2, 000 for pocket money for a whole month.

She said she also suffered oppression from her well-to-do coursemates.

“I was always baffled how my coursemates get to buy new clothes, shoes, bags, flying drinks and food up and down in the class while I had to survive with my N5000,” she recalled.

But Ayangbenro turned the adversity into an opportunity to focus on her studies.

As the oppressed her financially, she resorted to oppressing them academically.

Ayangbenro advised average students “to keep pushing forward and never give up. They should have strong determination and most importantly put God at the centre of their lives.”

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CREDIT: ALLSCHOOL, The Nation