TECHNOCRAT MEDIA NIGERIA
The story of Timilehin Abayomi, a first-class graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) could be called ‘sadness to happiness’ having failed in OAU after being accepted to the citadel of learning in 2008 and his studentship was withdrawn in his final semester, five years later.
Mr Abayomi on his Linkedin profile titled his article “OF A GRADUATE WHO HAD TO FAIL FIRST”.
“My mother and I held ourselves in late 2014, weeping uncontrollably after learning that I had failed in OAU after being accepted to the citadel in 2008. My studentship was withdrawn in my final semester, 5 years later, for reasons I completely accept responsibility for.”, he wrote.
“My family and I went through a tough moment of one suicide attempt, exile from home, and a family meeting to decide what to do next. I remember insisting on returning to university, and it was FUTA in 2015.” Mr Abayomi went further to say “Fast forward to yesterday, I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying with First Class Honours from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and placed in the top 5% of the university’s graduating class.”
The graduate of quantity surveying narrated how in between 2015-2021, have gone through extensive refinement, learned various lessons, and grown as a person.
He also said he adopted excellence, diligence, and tenacity, to have become his watchwords.
“Excellence, diligence, and tenacity in particular, which have become my watchwords.” Mr Abayomi said.
“With these guidelines in mind; I co-founded Inside FUTA, a news organization that helped the institution reintroduce campus media,”
“I won the prize for a most distinguished first-time member of the House while representing my department at the Students’ Representative Council (SRC).”
“Represented the University and competed against peers in a national debate, entrepreneurship, and construction competitions.”, the first-class graduate narrated his achievements while on campus.
He went further to say “As I move forward in life, I’m determined to uphold the three values of excellence, diligence, and tenacity, in the hopes that they would help me achieve my ultimate objective of realizing the possibilities of media and communications in the construction industry.”
He listed construction cost data management, construction economics, and project management as the three areas in which he has his interest to gain professional/academic expertise.
“As I’ve always maintained, this isn’t the best way to get a degree; nevertheless, tell anyone who has failed that “failure is not final, no matter how fatal, for he who falls shall rise again.”, Mr Abayomi said.
He dedicated his eventual success to God, the one who according to him gave him a second chance and as well his mother, who never gave up; family, who believed in him again; and friends, who were always there.
He ended the article by saying “this story is that of a failure who never gave up; a story of strength and courage. If you come across this, pray that God grants me speed for the years I have lost.”.
