Girl Who Got Pregnant At 18, Bags the Best Graduating Student At 25

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Seven years after an undesired pregnancy forced her to drop from the University of Ilorin, Aishat Farooq emerged the best graduating student of the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State.

In 2006, while she was in her third year, Aishat got pregnant for a fellow student. Although she wished to keep studying, she dropped out.

Today, Aishat features a different story to tell. On Saturday, she stood tall among her peers at the 5th convocation ceremony of Bells University, Ota, Ogun State, where she emerged the best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.93.

“The rebel in me won,” she declared while giving the valedictory address for the 208 graduating students of the university.

“I am hoping my story will inspire one or more person to alter their circumstance. I was pregnant at 18 and by 19 I had been a mother. I'd disappointed my dad who believed so much in me. He'd such big dreams for me personally and feared the dreams would become unfulfilled,” she added.

Breaking the headlines of the pregnancy to her father, who was simply during the time situated in the northern area of the country, wasn't easy. Aishat's mother, Fatima, who stayed in Lagos with the household, didn't break the “sad news” to the person before the lady was almost due. The mum feared her husband could be too angry.

Fatima narrated to the correspondent, “Looking back, we knew her to be very brilliant. But each of an immediate she got pregnant. Though her father and I were always discussing on calling, I hid it from him. Whenever he explained he could be arriving at Lagos to see us, I'd quickly chip it for the reason that I want to be the main one to visit. So, I ensured I was the main one always visiting him.

“Which was how I managed the problem before the pregnancy was eight months. But even once we broke the headlines to him, he felt really bad. Although there is nothing he could do, he couldn't head out for three days.”

Aishat studied Business Administration with specialisation in Human Resources Management, and received the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for the Overall Best Graduating Student with a money reward of N50,000 and a plaque. She also won the College of Management Sciences Prize and Department of Business Administration Prize for the Best Graduating Student.