Blessing Joe-Ikechebelu, 22, who recently emerged as the overall best-graduating student at Babcock University in Ogun State, has said it demanded determination to see her through.
Speaking during the university’s 7th induction ceremony of newly graduated medical doctors into the Medical and Dental Council, Blessing said she graduated with eight distinctions. She emerged as the overall best-graduating student from the Benjamin Carson Senior College of Health and Medical Science, Babcock University.
She stated that adapting to the school environment and scaling through the six-year journey was tiring and lonely. However, determination made the journey seamless.
Blessing said, “I owe my success to God and a lot of discipline and hard work on my part. From my first year, I tried to give in the best of my abilities and God kept me through. It wasn’t easy as there were moments that I was in tears, frustrated and terrified. We were here for six years, the friends we knew in 100 level left us at some point.
285 youths graduate from ITF skills scheme
FG orders screening of NSITF workers’ NYSC certificates
“It got tiring and I lost motivation at some point. However, all of that is in the best past now. We have attained victory and I look forward to the next phase of life.”
Meanwhile, her father, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, speaking at the event, announced the endowment of a N100,000 cash prize to the best-graduating students for the next 10 years.
Prof Ikechebelu, who spoke on behalf of the parents of the graduates, stated that he had no regrets about picking the university for his daughter.
“My daughter initially got admission in UNIZIK alongside other admissions abroad which we declined. Since she said she didn’t want to study in UNIZIK, my alma mater, I told her she wasn’t going abroad. We later settled for Babcock University and I can proudly say that there is no regret whatsoever sending my daughter to study here,” he said.
The Provost of the medical college in the university, Prof John Sotunsa, stated that the school upheld core values and attained remarkable feats each year since its inception.
“In the past six years, we have treated 112,666 persons, operated 1,621, provided 43,834 eye care and 23,759 glasses free of charge from Jalingo to Lagos, from Kaduna to Port Harcourt. The value medical missionaries from this school have added to lives cannot be quantified,” the provost said.
v
