Can we meet you? Do you have any hobbies at all?
Hello my name is Odunayo Ibitoye, I am a first class graduate
of law from Olabisi Onabanjo University ,Second child of my family and a
Christian. My hobbies in no particular order would be singing, writing poems ,
reading African fictions, creating contents and using Instagram and YouTube.
That’s quite a lot of things but that’s what I spend most of my time doing .
How does it feel to be awarded valedictorian?
Surprisingly it’s not something I think about a lot, but
it feels really good that I made my entire family proud , especially my dad.
I’m happy and proud of myself and grateful to God. On the other hand it feels a
little bit overwhelming because a lot of people around me have very high
expectations from me but I’m learning to take things at my own pace.
Do you have any ideas about what you will say from the onset?
I didn't know I would be the valedictorian. All i knows is that the faculty would pick six students to write essay and the best essay win. Although, I was among the top 3 students in my class,so I already had it in mind that I may be the valedictorian.
Could you tell us a little about your speech in line with
the adage you used
The title of my speech was “The Journey to the
Beginning”. I like to think of the end of a thing as the beginning of another,
I got that from my dad, he always tells me that the reward for hard work is
more hard work. My speech was about encouraging ourselves to be proud of our
achievements however little we may think they are and rather than dwell on
regrets , we can reshape our future. One phase ended, but really it’s the
beginning of another and the power to shape the new phase lies with us (the
graduating class).
The first adage says “odo ti o ba gbagbe orisun, gbi gbe
ni gbe” and it means a river that forgets its source will dry up. The point was
to encourage my colleagues to always look back at who and what made them and to
be be our brother’s and sister’s keeper. The second adage has a similar point
as the first .
Who has been the most influential person in your time at
OOULAWSS
Definitely Damilola Awotula, he was my pastor while he
was an undergraduate and also my academic mentor. He was also the valedictorian
and best graduating student of the Faculty of law 2019 set. He was really
dedicated in helping me grow and believing that a first class was achievable. I
am really grateful I met him and joined my fellowship, Christ Image Assembly
OOU.
What are your plans for after graduation
The first course of action is to rest rest rest! Then, I
want to acquire tech skills (which I am already working on). I really believe
that technology is the future and if we don’t start to build skills and
knowledge in that field we’d be left behind. I’d also like to start my business
( launching very soon) and do some graduate internships. Then it would be back
to studying for law school before resumption in harmattan.
What was your favorite part about OOULAWSS; Any ups and
downs and what else were you involved in and how were you able to merge all
with academics?
My Favorite thing about OOULAWSS would be the people. OOU
faculty of law is always growing and we have started to gain the right
exposure, I honestly believe that in the next five years, we will have the same
reputation as many prestigious universities in Nigeria.
My biggest challenge was not being able to socialize with
as many people as I would have hoped to because I was always very busy,
whenever I tried, it was usually nothing meaningful.
I was very active in church and held positions as Bible
study leader, Assistant General Secretary, General Secretary, President, I was a
member of the Law student Parliamentary Council and the Constituency leader for
400level, I was a member of law clinic and a Co-Founder of Energy Law Club. I
was a Representative at an organization called Diverse law, and the head of
Instagram sub-committee and the Head of Publicity Committee.
I was able to merge them by being disciplined, I always
had a to do list every day ( it was really hard to do most of my outlines but
it kept me focused). Most importantly it was God strengthening me and giving
wisdom. Summarily I would say having an accountability partner, having a to do
list, prioritizing and being disciplined is key. Also I never took on more than
I could chew. I knew my strength and I carved my activities around it.
What is that one piece advice you would give to
undergraduate?
Always believe in yourself, set priorities, be determined
and disciplined. Stay informed about the emerging trends in law (or any
discipline you’re studying) and always take a break when you need it. Have a
little healthy fun too.
Thank you.
