Haleemah Hamzah, a 22-year-old from Kwara State, is the best female graduating student of UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto, for the 2022/2023 academic session. She graduated with a First Class from the Department of Biochemistry, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.87 on a scale of 5. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her academic journey, girl-child education and mentorship, among others.
You are from Kwara State. What motivated you to seek university education in far Sokoto State? And why UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)?
In 2018, I wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and had 284. With this score, people advised that I should change from the University of Ilorin, which was my first choice, to a university in the north. From experience, they reasoned that the University of Ilorin may not offer me admission in Medicine and Surgery as some candidates who even scored over 300 in UTME are sometimes unlucky to be admitted to study Medicine there.
With that score, I was advised to change to an institution in the north that would offer me a place to study Medicine and Surgery, my dream course. I was told that UsmanuDanfodiyo University is one of the catchment areas for Kwara State indigenes. So, I changed to UDUS thinking I would be offered the course. But I was not.
You desired to study medicine. You even attained a CGPA of 4.82 in 100 level, but were still denied medicine when you applied for it after your first academic year in your university. Why did you not rewrite another UTME and go for medicine instead?
In 100 level, I took the UTME exam for the second time. Then, I scored 277. However, this time, I had to choose between Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine. I decided to stay in Biochemistry because these two courses were not something I wanted to take.
Third year is usually the toughest year in the university, yet you made a perfect CGPA of 5.0 in your third year. What did you do differently in that session to attain such a grade?
I have always been convinced that records are meant to be broken. This has been my driving force right from time. Our predecessors in the department have told us that 300 Level is very hectic and we may likely not experience an increase in CGPA. I tried to be different by studying extensively and by reading textbooks in Biochemistry. In addition, when responding to exam questions, I took my time writing and explaining every important detail in the questions.
Seven people graduated with a First Class in your class, six being females, with only one male. How does this make you feel? Do you think women are becoming more intelligent and serious than men in academics and life generally?
I believe both genders need to put in a lot of work to transform our dear country Nigeria and place it on the pedestal of sustainable development. Gender, in my opinion, has little bearing on academic achievements. In certain ways, however, women are leading the way and are becoming smarter than males. All things considered, though, we ought to aim to give everything we have.
What was the title of your final-year project and what were the major findings from it?
The title is ‘Comparative Study of Antimalarial Potential in Magnifera indica and Azadirachta indica Using Insilico Analysis’.
Herbal remedies for malaria are made from the leaves of the neem tree and the bark of the mango tree. The antimalarial properties of these compounds have been demonstrated. I looked for specific chemicals with antimalarial properties, and I discovered that sulphur and azole compounds were the compounds with antimalarial activity.
How do you think you can impact your community and Nigerian society with the course you studied?
One method of creating an impact on society is through research. Given the mortality rates associated with some diseases, such as diabetes and malaria, we should be searching for novel medications that can lower the death rates. This is how I think that I contribute my share of knowledge to the nation’s growth and development.
What was your social life like while at the university? Did you belong to any association or win any grants or fellowships?
During my first and second years, I concentrated on maintaining a stable CGPA without joining any associations. However, during my third year, I held the positions of PRO for my department’s Muslim organisation and vice-president for my departmental association. Later in my final year, I took on additional responsibilities as the secretary of a newly formed club on campus, the Ameerah of the Muslim Association in my department and volunteered to work for other organisations within and outside of the campus.
I did not win any grants or fellowships, but I received scholarships.
What were the major challenges you faced as a student and how did you manage them?
When I first started, I had trouble managing my time well. Then, there was the problem of combining my extracurricular interests with many academic assignments or tasks. I managed by using a to-do list and appropriate scheduling.
What role did your parents play in helping you to achieve this landmark academic result? Are your parents as intelligent as you are?
I was raised in an intelligent household. My parents are amazing, and they immediately provided me with all the assistance I needed. During her time in school, my mother had a distinction in her HND programme in Science Laboratory Technology and was the best-graduating student in her department. She was also the best student in her PGD programme and placed second in her MSc programme in Microbiology.
All these academic feats inspire me to keep going and strive to graduate with First Class Honours. My parents supported me morally, emotionally, and financially. They constantly inspired me to work even more.
You are a classic example of how education can impact the girl-child for self-development and societal transformation. Yet, in northern Nigeria, the girl-child is generally denied access to basic education. In this regard, what is your advice to the parents and leaders of the underprivileged northern Nigerian girl-child?
Every youngster can thrive in life. It is time to grant girls the freedom to attend school. They must be given more opportunities, for some of these girls are gifted and have great potential. It is time to give them unfettered access to education so that they can be useful and relevant to their parents, society and the nation at large.
First, parents and leaders should inculcate in the minds of their children the fear of Allah and teach them moral values so they can resist the degeneration and decay in society. Enrol them in school and provide them with the required emotional and financial assistance.
If given the opportunity and the resources to mentor and educate young girls in your immediate community on how to be goal-orientated and academically successful, how would you go about it?
This is one of the most useful ways of making a difference in society. I hope to collect young females from my neighbourhood and try to instil a growth mentality in them. The basis upon which we construct things is our mindset. I have to give them the right attitude that would increase their boldness and tenacity along the way. Then, I will work with them to help them set goals and aspirations they have always wanted to achieve, instil in them the habit of prayer, inspire them with the examples of women who have accomplished great things in life, listen to them through difficult times, offer encouraging words, and give them praise for everything they accomplish.
What is your advice to students who are aspiring to achieve the kind of academic feat you achieved?
The three pillars of effective academic excellence are prayer, effort, and mindset. Have a positive attitude towards academic growth, which encourages self-improvement, and never give up. Then comes prayer. Constant prayers will keep you going. Always remember Allah at all times of your life. Whenever you cry out to Him, He will always hear you.
Finally, hard work. Hard work does not weaken you, it does not kill — rather, it fortifies you. The end of the tunnel is in sight. Continue the forward motion, step up your efforts to the fullest, and visualise yourself succeeding.
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