24-year-old Vanessa Detokunbo-Bello has big dreams for the future, and big plans to achieve them. With a first class degree in Chemical Engineering from the Aston University, United Kingdom, and eyes riveted on a Master’s degree in Engineering Management at the Royal Holloway, University of London, she definitely has found the right momentum. She speaks with LAOLU HAROLDS.
You made First Class in Chemical Engineering. To what would you attribute this feat?
I know this sounds quite the cliché answer, but definitely hard work, dedication and perseverance. Studying Chemical Engineering taught me that intelligence on its own won’t cut it.
You have to be willing to pull those extra days and all-nighters, swap nights out for all-night sessions in the library and do what most of your colleagues won’t: wake up at 5am to start the day. It definitely paid off.
Of course keeping God at the centre and depending on Him through all of it turned out to be the icing on the cake because He made it look so smooth and easy.
When did your interest in science begin, particularly the course of study you chose?
My interest in science began from a very young age actually. However, it wasn’t until I was in Year 9 that I started to take it very seriously.
My science teacher who as it happened was also my head of year made sure I did extra reading, answered questions in class and would even sometimes give me more homework to ensure I always had work to do.
This, combined with my strange love for mathematics, made me realise I would definitely have a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) career.
Over the years, I took a special liking to Chemistry especially but realised I fell in love with the mathematical and experimental side of it as opposed to the theoretical side and shied away from Biology (wanted to be a doctor at first but couldn’t be bothered to study about how plants respire and feed).
The combination of my love for Mathematics, Chemistry and some parts of Physics brought about Chemical Engineering; and thank God I followed my gut, because I definitely made the right decision.
What was responsible for your going to the UK for this study? Nigeria is definitely not in short supply of quality institutions offering Chemical Engineering?
Although I was born in Nigeria, I actually relocated to the UK with my brothers as it was easier to be better supervised living with our parents as opposed to being by ourselves with helps. There, I started my secondary school education and subsequently carried on to the sixth form all the way to university.
I am, however, aware of the institutions providing this course and I actually have a primary school friend who studied the same course in Nigeria and graduated with the same degree classification. If I did stay in Nigeria, who knows, I may have a Nigerian University degree today.
Having experienced studying on both ends (Nigeria and UK), could you give us your comparative experience? What factors either inhibited or facilitated your studies?
Though I may not be in the right position to speak broadly on this, having completed most of my education in the UK, I will however say based on my experience in both countries, I believe the resources provided were quite different. I was raised in a country where primary, secondary and sixth form education is free.
Resources such as textbooks, notebooks and examination entrances are provided free of charge by the government; transportation is free till you turn 18 or go to university (whichever one comes first), and even for students whose parents cannot afford their school meals, lunch is provided for such children.
Considering this, a child experiences balance and is given equal opportunity to reach the same distance as their peers who come from wealthier and affluent families. Children are able to attain whatever goals and dreams they set their minds to and the UK educational system ensures this is a reality.
I remember when I applied to university. I chose the institutions I was interested in with the confidence that I would be provided with all the necessary support I needed to achieve this feat.
Free revision classes, supportive members of staff, countless resources and multiple awards for my effort further encouraged me to chase my dreams and enrol at an institution ranked in the top five per cent in the world.
Personally, in these situations, I believe you have no excuse; you must excel. I do believe emulating this would definitely have enhanced my education experience in Nigeria and may have convinced by parents to allow my brothers and I continue our educational journey in the motherland.
How did your upbringing affect your academic progress? Were you forced to study as a child, for instance?
My mother, God bless her heart, just finished her FOURTH degree; so, my brothers and I were raised by an academic. As a parent, she is very liberal, friendly and our confidante. In fact, we grew up being able to tell her anything and we never had a curfew.
However, when it came to education, she was someone else! She believes education is a passport to life that never expires. From a young age, she provided us with everything we needed and even wanted, but there were ground rules.
No television on a school night. All homework must be completed the day you get it. I’m a great lover of television programmes and this annoyed her because she thought it would hinder my performance at school. I remember the day I got my first B.
She was so angry and of course blamed my TV programmes. So, to satisfy her, I worked twice as hard just to prove this wouldn’t affect my education. It’s so funny, because now I do my coursework in front of TV and she just laughs.
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In terms of diversity, how easy is/was it being a black student on your campus in the UK? Have you ever experienced any form of discrimination on account of your colour?
I was quite lucky because my university was actually located in the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham, so I found myself in a very culturally diverse city. However, on my course, the case was slightly different as there weren’t many of us. Being a British-African student and female, the experience was absolutely daunting.
I did have some subtle remarks about race, with some saying they would have thought I would study Accounting and Finance since my home country was the ‘fraud centre’ of the world; while others literally asked me to my face if I was studying Chemical Engineering as a woman to prove a point. This, however, propelled me to achieve the best result possible. Proving these people wrong definitely gave me the boost I needed.
What do you plan to achieve next, and where would you want to see yourself 10 years from today?
Well, by God’s grace, I will be completing my Masters Degree in MSc Engineering Management from Royal Holloway, University of London, within the next month.
I have also secured a graduate position in a multinational company set to become the leading transportation company in Europe by 2020.
Ten years seems like a long time away, but I do hope to be married, have a family of my own and definitely be in a high-level managerial position within this company or another as God wills.
and then