22-Year Old Emerges Babcock Varsity Overall Best Graduating Student

Funmi Ogundare

Celebration rented the air when Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun state, 15th undergraduate and 6th postgraduate convocation ceremony, where Miss Alexandria Braie, 22, of the Accounting department, School of Management Sciences, was called out to receive her prize for emerging the overall best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.90.

She was among the 90 First Class students out of a total of 1,807 graduates the institution produced in the 2016/2017 academic session.
Surprisingly, Braie beat Temitope Odunayo Nwachukwu of the department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, who had a CGPA of 4.91 because she stood out at the undergraduate programmes in leadership, community and spiritual , aside just academics.
An elated Braie who intends to be a Chattered Accountant and a consultant said her family members and friends motivated her to be the best she could.

According to her, “my parents give me words of encouragement and they are my support. It has not been a bed of roses but they have always encouraged me to be the best I want. They tell me that I can be great at whatever I do and I should always strive for the best.”

Asked if she had any challenges in her academics during the course of her study, she said, “ I had a challenge in trying to balance academics with professional exams and to overcome it, I had to plan well and that helped me a lot.”
The best graduating student said she made use of the library to study noting, “I was a balanced student and I used the library because it’s a quiet place for me to read. I also read in my room as well.”

She said her happiest moment was the convocation day, while advising other students not to be discouraged by what people say to them, and not getting discouraged by themselves.
“ There is nothing as good as not accomplishing and achieving what you can. You have to try to be the best in whatever you do, the sky is not the limit. From the beginning I worked towards success, thank Good I achieved it. You have to know what works best for you. I read when its really quiet. You need to plan your time very well . I didn’t like some of the courses I did at the beginning, but when I set my mind on it, I knew I can achieve it.”

Braie who said she had been able to acquire skills in make-up and fashion while in school, noted that accounting plays a big role in national development as it would help in generating revenue.”

“Those are the skills I have acquired and they will always be with me.”
In his remarks, the President/Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ademola Tayo advised the graduands to remember the lessons they have learnt over the years saying, “we have played our part by ensuring that you are key players on this arena today, an arena that you dreamed of on your matriculation day. But you must also remember that the academic toils of your past years will pail into significance in comparison to what you do with the lessons learnt from those past years. These lessons should guide your next steps and paint your future in your preferred colours.”

He also charged them to dedicate themselves to transforming the country by being servant leaders that would make a difference while upholding the missions and ideals of the university.

“Today you are like doves, doves are for peace and not for war. We unleash you into the wider world as peacemakers to a world of endless strives. Doves are significant in landmark events. This commencement is no exception. Just as doves are let out into freedom to be where they want to be and be what they want to become as they ensure peace. We are letting you off to the world to make a difference; to make your parents proud, to make Babcock university proud and to make Nigeria proud, ” he stressed.

The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who expressed his administration’s readiness to develop the education sector, admonished the graduating students to go into the bigger world and be Job creators.

“University prepares you for the bigger world, academic qualification is not all that you need to succeed in life. Morals and character also matter. You have to be ready to make positive difference and be ready to think beyond giving back to the society and humanity.”