In this interview with BIOLUWATIFE AKINYEMI, University of Lagos (UNILAG) best graduating student at the masters degree programme, Basirat Raji-Adefila spoke about her determination to achieve an all-round 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) and her journey from Ogbomoso, Nigeria to the United States.
Tell me about your academic background
Having completed my secondary education in July 2010 as the overall best student in the 2009/2010 academic cohort from Baptist Comprehensive College Ogbomoso, I was energised to resume my tertiary education immediately. In September 2010, I received provisional admission to study Pure and Applied Chemistry at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso. Although I joined first classes later than others, I concluded my first semester with a seemingly low GPA of 3.55. However, I knew my place was at the top, and I was determined to complete my B-Tech with a first-class. I soon got closer to mentors, who showed me clearly what I needed to do to build my CGPA to at least 4.50. I started attending tutorials, most of which I paid for with my pocket money from my Dad. My second year gave me a ray of hope as my CGPA moved up a little to 4.00. I continued with this incremental progress and completed my B-Tech from LAUTECH honorably with a CGPA of 4.56, where I was honored and recognised at the 2015/2016 convocation ceremony.
After my B-Tech, I proceeded to do my mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). After the completion of my NYSC, I decided to take a step higher in my education, since it has always been my lifelong dream to be a professor. I applied to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for a fulltime master’s degree programme in Environmental Chemistry, where I learnt about environmental pollution and several ways I, as a chemist, can mitigate these pollutions. My thesis was particularly an eye-opener for me; I studied pharmaceutical pollution from industrial processes in Lagos metropolis. By using sophisticated equipment at the University of Lagos Central Laboratory like High-performance Liquid Chromatography and Gas Chromatography, among others, to detect the presence of antibiotic remnants in Lagos surface water. I had no doubt about getting a PhD, and I wanted to carry out research that can help mitigate environmental pollution. My PhD journey started in August 2021 at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States.
A noteworthy aspect is my consistent academic excellence, maintaining straight As from the fourth year of my undergraduate studies through my Ph.D. coursework
Why influenced your decision to study Environmental Chemistry at the Master’s level?
I always wanted to study beyond undergrad, so getting a Master’s was a sure thing for me. I consulted my mentor then, Professor T.A. Adedosu about my decision to enroll in a Master’s program at the UNILAG and he advised me to study Analytical Chemistry as this will be very useful, especially in manufacturing industries. However, I have been an Environmental activist since my days in LAUTECH, where I was even a member of Environmental Ambassadors on campus, a group made up of students from Environmental Biology only and I became the only Chemist amongst them. This propelled me to apply to Environmental Chemistry rather than Analytical Chemistry as I was advised. I also like to find useful applications for theoretical concepts that I have learned. I thought Environmental Chemistry would give me numerous grounds to achieve this.
What would you say influenced your academic success to achieve a perfect CGPA of 5.0 in UNILAG?
I would say my DETERMINATION for success no matter the circumstance and the support system I had. My Master’s at UNILAG came with a lot of family responsibilities. About three months into the programme, I became pregnant on top of managing two toddlers already. Honestly, I considered deferring the admission at some point. Between that was also the pandemic in 2020 during this programme. I would usually attend my classes religiously, spend some time on campus to study, and sometimes study overnight on campus, I also invested in purchasing physical copies of textbooks, I believe this was one thing I did better than my colleagues then, and this made studying way easier for me and I learned beyond what my professors taught me in classes. I was the only one from my cohort including all other arms of Chemistry (such as Physical Chemistry, Organic, Inorganic and Analytical) Master’s students to earn As in all my courses including my dissertation.
How would you describe your relationship with lecturers and colleagues at UNILAG?
I see my lecturers all as my mentors. Beyond the classroom, I relate with many of my professors, and some will sometimes tease me that I look like a 16-year-old in a Master’s programme. I have made lifelong friends from my colleagues during this programme who have become my support systems at the moment
How do you feel about attaining this remarkable academic feat?
I must say, I feel extremely proud of myself, and this has strengthened my belief in myself. No matter the circumstance I always see myself as having what it takes to succeed, which particularly helped me in my PhD first year during the turbulent times of adjusting to cultures and beliefs elsewhere.
What were the challenges encountered during the study?
As a full time postgraduate student at UNILAG, one of the many challenges is having to be on campus almost everyday for classes leaving little or no time for personal studies. We even stay until around 7 PM for environmental monitoring classes. This was stressful for me with having to pick up my kids from school and daycare, and having to deal with Lagos traffic jams
Tell me about your experiences during application for scholarships in US universities
This was a memorable time in my life, I was joggling my MSc thesis, doing experiments, writing statements of purpose (SOPs) and submitting applications. Indeed a test of mental capabilities.
You had three scholarship offers for your PhD programme, why did you settle for the current school?
I was admitted with full funding to Mississippi State University, University of New Mexico and University of Massachusetts Amherst. I chose the University of New Mexico firstly due to having an environmental Professor to conduct research with ( although was retired upon my arrival), and the weather in New Mexico is friendly also the possibility of my spouse finding his course of study with funding was high at the University of New Mexico. I loved to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst but the cost of living at Amherst considering my family joining me later was quite high. Hence the University of New Mexico won! I love it here now though, it’s different from the hustling and bustling of on Lagos streets which was quite strange and awkward in the beginning when I initially got here, but I’m used to it now.
How are you able to strike a balance between home, teaching, researching, writing and attending conferences?
It takes planning and re-planning. Sometimes, seasons are different and that means your schedule also changes. Having my spouse support me with the kids is a big one too. I honestly just do not know a particular tactics that worked. I give my best to all areas as much my situation allows at any given period, generally being open-minded and learning to stop and take some break now and then, it’s usually overwhelming sometimes.
What’s your biggest culture shock, having migrated to the US?
Plenty of culture shocks, one of them being weekly assignments for every course and about four exams per course in a semester, feels too much considering we don’t do assignments much back home and the exam is only once with one test mid-semester. But I’m used to that now.
Another shock was you can’t tell a student who is performing woefully they fail a course.
What’s your advice for students out there; especially the young ones towing the path of academics?
Focus, be focused, create a picture of what success means to you, and don’t be afraid to go for it, you will be surprised how much of people you surpass in gifts and abilities. Mentoring and support systems are key to any form of success.
Tell me about the biggest day in your life
I would say the day I got my US Visa approved. It really made me extremely happy as I feel so close to my dreams.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
I love to contribute to scientific research, in the next 10 years I should have risen to an associate professor or a professor in an academic setting. At the same time I hope to own and manage a manufacturing company primarily for commercial production of lithium ion batteries for several applications.
My PhD research focuses primarily on the development of high energy electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, in revolutionising the electric vehicle industry. I hope that I can have lithium manufacturing startup in Nigeria in the near future.
and then