Seven years after an unwanted
pregnancy forced her to drop
out of the University of Ilorin,
Aishat Farooq emerges the best
graduating student of the Bells
University of Technology,
Ota, Ogun State.....
Aishat with her son, Damilola.....
The Punch
Ota, Ogun State
November 5, 2013
When Aishat Farooq gained
admission into the University of
Ilorin at 15, to study Zoology,
little did she know that she was
not going to be an alumnus of
the institution. That was in 2003.
Despite the fact that she was a
high flyer in her first two years in
UNILORIN, the now 25-year-old
indigene of Ilorin West-Local
Government Area of Kwara State
got distracted along the line. She
played the campus love game
and got a shocking result: she
got pregnant.
It was in 2006 and in her third
year. She was pregnant for a
fellow student whom she had
been dating. She was
disappointed in herself and
thought the whole world was
crashing on her. Yet, she vowed
not to terminate the pregnancy.
Although she wanted to continue
her studies in the university, she
became disillusioned and
dropped out at 18. She sought
consolation in trading.
But her father, Mr. Shehu Farooq,
who believed that his daughter’s
academic prowess should not be
wasted, was determined to get
her back on the academic track.
Today, Aishat has a different
story to tell. On Saturday, she
stood tall among her peers at the
5th convocation ceremony of
Bells University, Ota, Ogun State,
where she emerged the overall
best graduating student with a
Cumulative Grade Point Average
of 4.93.
“The rebel in me won,” she
declared while giving the
valedictory address on behalf of
the 208 graduating students of
the university.
Quote
“I hope my story will inspire at
least one person to change his or
her circumstance. I was pregnant
at 18 and by 19 I was already a
mother.
I had disappointed my father
who believed so much in me. He
had such big dreams for me and
feared the dreams would
become unfulfilled.”
“I’m a goal getter. I push myself
hard. Even here (BELLSTECH) in
spite of being a mother, I was
pushing for the best despite the
challenges.
I wanted to make my dad proud
again. Once you are determined,
nothing is impossible. Nothing
can stop you.”
Asked if she was involved in any
relationship at the Bells, she
explained that she was a popular
“ snob” on campus because the
majority of male students were
younger than her. Besides, she
did not want to get distracted or
disappoint her parents and
herself again.
She said she has no plans for
marriage for now. She wants to
pursue a master’s degree
programme in Human Resources
in the University of Aberdeen,
Scotland. She added that she also
plans to work in a corporate
environment to garner
experience and afterwards go
back to the university to teach
“as a way of giving back.”
The second child in a family of
eight children, Aishat brought
her six-year-old son, Damilola, to
the convocation. It was, however,
learnt that the Edo State-born
father of the boy has since got
married to another woman .
Full story @ .... http://
www.punchng.com/education/
pregnant-at-18-best-graduating-
student-at-25/