It was Friday, the 20th of April, 2012. Probably every other normal day in a company or school, but it was a totally different day for Oxbridge Tutorial College. It was her Career’s Day event; the first of its kind in Oxbridge and it was indeed an extraordinary day.
The event kicked off at about 1:50pm exactly with the opening prayer, which was said by Mr. Demola Odunniyi. A few minutes later, the Managing Director of the school, Dr. Ogunsanya came to give her welcome speech. She stated how excited she was about this event being held for the first time in Oxbridge and how she wanted all students to avail themselves of the golden opportunity. She thereafter introduced all the speakers for the day. These speakers were chosen from different fields of human endeavour based on students general preference:
Mrs Yinka Ogunde; the lady behind Edumark, the popular education consulting firm, was the first speaker of the day. She studied Mass Communication in the University, changing initially from being an arts student. However, she developed a passion for the Education sector and so she followed it. She gave four recipes for success:
- Choose to be different; make wise choices.
- Apply wisdom in every aspect of your life.
- Be determined and focused.
- Avoid carelessness
- Shun waywardness.
These are words no discerning student should forget. She also mentioned her daughter being an ex-oxbridge student. This, of course, brought smiles to everybody’s faces.
Mr O.A.R Ogunde (SAN) [Law] is a lawyer. He currently holds the post of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun state. He spoke to some International Relations students and some other students who had the intention of studying Law in future.
Also, we had Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo –Dosunmu (Medicine), the daughters of the highly respected sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who had the opportunity of speaking to students interested in pursuing career in Medicine, being an experienced medical doctor herself. She also runs the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation in Nigeria.
Following suit was Mrs Bolaji Agbelusi (Aeronautic Engineering): First official mum pilot in Nigeria! She is the first female captain to have a child and return back to work. Isn’t that impressive? She studied Versatile Aviation in the University of Oklahoma. I got to take her on tour of Oxbridge as a Student Representative Council member and I asked her a few question. My first was why she chose such as course; because this course is not popular amongst females. Her response was that she liked it and she had a flare for it; moreover, she grew up living around military men who were also pilots and so by the age of 7, she had made up her mind to become a pilot. She also said she was not scared on her first flight and that every pilot needs to avoid a fearful mindset because terrible cases may arise; she spoke on terrible weather conditions and plane crashes. But the ability to think differently makes a good pilot. Well, I guess that is why she is so successful.
Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna (Banking & Finance): he is currently working as the Managing Director of Access Bank, Nigeria. He studied Banking & Finance in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for 4 years and then, he proceeded to Harvard Business School for a further degree in Finance. He holds a prominent place in his work place. He was very inspiring. Not only the way he dressed, but the way he answered questions and joked; he showed a lot of insight into the banking industry. He made a statement about this new legislation that is being implemented in all banks now which requires “40% of female workers being in a banking sector and about 30% being in the board team”. It is safe to say the banking sector in Nigeria is changing for the better.
Mr Tony Chukwueke (Petroleum Engineering): Who has worked with prestigious people in the society such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, also worked in Shell for over 35 years and is now retired. Although his daughter was getting married the following day he made the decision to still attend the event; this beyond any doubt deserved a lot of respect. He enlightened the students that anybody could go into the Oil and Gas industry even if they did not study Petroleum Engineering. In further pursuit of his enviable career, he first studied Physics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and when he did not get a job, he went back to school and studied Applied Geo-Physics, so as to have an understanding of oil in the ground. He later got a job as an Applied Geo-Physicist in Shell Petroleum, where he worked for 6 years. He returned to school to study Economics; another aspect that can be used in the Oil and Gas industry. He retired from Shell after 27 years at the age of 53. The tips he gave to attaining a successful career were:
- Giving a positive attitude to work.
- Being a specialist or perfectionist in your work area.
- Be a genius!
Welcome to the glamorous world of Mrs Ayotomi Rotimi (Fashion Designing)! She initially studied Business Administration, but later decided to pursue Fashion Design, as it was her first love. Dressed elegantly in an Ankara dress, she talked about how Fashion Design should not be only a female vocation. Men too, if there is a passion for it, should pursue it. She also talked about how Fashion Design is not all about passion, but requires a lot more. “Watching fashion channels and liking clothes and being able to dress well does not guarantee that you can be a fashion designer”, she corrected. It requires a lot of drive and focus.
Mr Papa Omotayo (Architecture): who is one of the architects that designed the present Oxbridge Tutorial College building and is the brain behind other mind boggling designs in Central Business District of Lagos. He also had an interactive session with students interested in Architecture.
Mr Taiwo Grillo (IT/Creative Arts/Media studies): studied Mass Communication in the University of Hertfordshire and also has a master’s degree in Marketing. He is currently one of the brains behind White Chapel & Partners (WCP),a marketing communication firm here in Lagos, which provides a blend of leadership, problem solving and value creation solutions.
This was a fun-filled and remarkable day; a day that would be remembered in the history of Oxbridge. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “No decent career was ever founded on a public”. Choose the career that best fits you and work with it. Have you chosen your future career?
-Adeyemi Adeola
(OxPress)
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