“My drive to go beyond what was expected made me stand out” – Chimbuchi Ogbonna ( Adeleke University best-graduating student 2023/2024)
Tell us about yourself, your education, and your passion?
“My name is Success Chimbuchi Ogbonna. I’m a 23-year-old female from Arochukwu, Abia State. I was born and raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where I attended primary and secondary school.
I recently graduated from Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, with a First Class Honours in Biochemistry. I was also awarded the overall best-graduating student (2023-2024) in the entire school.
I can describe myself in three words: goal-driven, diligent, and zealous.
I am passionate about utilizing my extensive knowledge and expertise to develop transformative solutions that will drive systemic improvements across the healthcare sector”.
You mentioned a three-year delay before starting university. How did you manage the emotional impact of this setback and maintain your motivation?
“I went through a minor phase of depression. Fortunately, I didn’t stay down for too long. I was determined to make the best of an awful situation. With the support of God and close family, I was able to gradually build up resilience. My main goal in life is to make my family proud, and I couldn’t achieve that by letting setbacks like that break me”.
Disappointment and setbacks are part of success. Could you elaborate on other challenges you encountered and how you overcame them?
“As I mentioned earlier, the hardest part of the job was maintaining a high grade, and honestly, it got harder each semester. There were times I wanted to give up because of how much work I had to deal with. Now, alongside my coursework, I was also the class representative handling the affairs of my colleagues, on top of that, I was the President of the National Society of Biochemistry Students (NSBS) Adeleke University Chapter. It was very challenging to manage these positions and still achieve excellent grades.
I remember on many occasions when I would be the last person to leave the faculty because I was doing extra work for the interest of my colleagues. It was work I was happy to do and time I was willing to sacrifice because I am devoted to serving people to the best of my abilities.
Towards the end of my undergraduate studies, the workload became unbearable to the point where I had to go to my Head of Department to tell her I quit because I was afraid that serving might endanger my grades and I couldn’t afford to not finish well, keep in mind that at this point I was now also in charge of my final year group research project. Well, long story short, she refused my resignation and told me she believed I had what it took to handle it all and that this was preparing me for something greater. Truly, I was able to overcome the difficulties through God’s help, my family’s prayers and the support from my colleagues and friends”.
Given your exceptional academic record, what strategies did you employ to maintain a high CGPA throughout your undergraduate studies?
“I employed 4 core strategies:
1. I put God first in everything. I acknowledged that I could not have achieved anything without His help. So, I remained humble through it all.
2. I was focus-minded. This meant that I gave no room for any sort of distractions. To speak in clearer terms, “If it did not align with my goals, I blocked it out”. Many people called me uptight because of this choice, but I was resolute in my decision, focused on my goal and it paid off.
3. I strived for excellence. In the world today, it is very easy to be complacent and to do the bare minimum. One of the things that stood me out of the crowd was my drive to go beyond what was expected. It wasn’t enough to just be good but to be the best.
4. I was disciplined. Any great achievement can disappear in hours without the discipline to maintain it. The real task was in sustaining a solid CGPA for 4 years, because as people say, “when someone is at the very top, the only way to go is down”. I had laid out principles in order to succeed and it took self-discipline to stick by them”.
What are your career aspirations? How do you plan to leverage your Biochemistry degree to achieve these goals?
“As I mentioned earlier, I am passionate about utilizing my extensive knowledge and expertise to develop transformative solutions that will promote systemic improvements across the healthcare sector.
To achieve this, I plan to pursue a career in molecular biology, combining it with my knowledge in biochemistry to support cutting-edge research, ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being of all which is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”.
As the Overall Best Graduating Student, Can you share an experience where you demonstrated leadership qualities during your time at university?
“As the class representative of my class, it was my duty to represent all my colleagues with their best interests in mind. I was a fair leader; every decision always came down to a vote. I was also an empathic leader; I encouraged the spirit of community which meant that we supported each other. I was accountable for my actions, led by example, and handled every situation with an analytical mindset. This led to me becoming the President of the National Society of Biochemistry Students (NSBS) Adeleke University Chapter, a position I handled the same way I did as a class representative”.
How did you balance your academic commitments with extracurricular activities and your personal life?
“The only way I was able to juggle my rigorous coursework with extracurricular activities was to put in extra study time. This meant staying up for longer hours at night to meet up with my academic work. From the beginning, I always had to do more work than most of my colleagues and I knew it required more sacrifice”.
How do you unwind from those toxic moments?
“Talking to loved ones about the difficulties I experienced helped me a lot, they gave me guidance whenever I needed it and it helped me unwind”.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to be great?
“My advice is simple. To quote Hunter Thompson, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”.
So, do your very best in whatever you do”.
Interviewer: Thank you so much, Chimbuchi, for taking the time to share your journey and insights with us. Your story is both motivating and enlightening, and we wish you continued success in all your future endeavors.
Led by Adegoke Awau
For: InfovillaNg Editoria team