By Prosper Mene
Mabel Aruwajoye, a young Nigerian woman who completed secondary school at the tender age of 12 as her setโs best graduating student (BGS), has successfully earned her degree in Biomedical Laboratory Science from the prestigious University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeriaโs first university.
Aruwajoye graduated as a licensed Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLSct.) at just 21 years old, eight years after leaving secondary school in 2018. She shared her remarkable journey on LinkedIn, detailing the challenges, rejections, and triumphs that defined her path.
Aruwajoyeโs story began with exceptional promise. At 12, she topped her secondary school class. However, despite meeting the admission cutoff, she faced rejection from universities while her peers advanced. Her parents refused to let her idle at home, leading her to pursue Cambridge A-Levels.
The A-Levels journey had a rocky start at Educonsult before a mentor, Mr. Peters Abiodun, guided her to EAC, where she excelled with an impressive A*AB in 2020. This opened the door to direct entry admission into UI in 2021 to study Biomedical Laboratory Science at 200 level.
The university journey tested her limits. Aruwajoye described it as โanything but smooth.โ The second semester of 200 level shook her confidence, while the 300 level clinical postings at the University College Hospital (UCH) demanded her all. In 400 level, she battled a malaria scare just days before her First Professional Exam but still passed with Distinction.
She found her stride in 500 level within Chemical Pathology. Her final semester research on toxicology pushed her endurance to the brink โ manually running three parameters on 60 samples in just two days. Financial pressures mounted, but her family provided unwavering support.
In the end, her perseverance paid off handsomely: she achieved Distinctions in both professional examinations, graduated with a 2:1 degree, and obtained her professional license.
โFrom a 12-year-old BGS in Secondary School to a Licensed Medical Laboratory Scientist. It started with rejection… Eight years after secondary school, I am a 21 years old licensed Medical Laboratory Scientist of the First and the Best,โ she wrote.
She expressed deep gratitude to God, her parents, siblings, supervisor, friends, roommate, and course mates, crediting them for her success.
Aruwajoyeโs story has drawn widespread congratulations and admiration online, with many hailing her as an inspiration for young Nigerians facing educational hurdles.
Her achievement shows the potential of gifted young students in Nigeria while underscoring systemic challenges like age-related admission barriers and the value of determination, family support, and mentorship in overcoming them.
Mabel Aruwajoye now joins the ranks of exceptional young talents making strides in Nigeriaโs medical and scientific fields. Her journey from child prodigy to licensed professional is not a powerful reminder that early brilliance, paired with resilience, can triumph over obstacles.
