Sometimes, I broke down to the point of tears —Paul-Okpara, San Jose Varsity’s highest graduating honours student

Grace Paul-Okpara, a native of Abia State graduated with Summa Cum Laude Honors (the highest graduating honors) from San Jose University, California. The Industrial and Systems Engineer in this interview by ENIOLA OYEMOLADE speaks on how she attained this feat, the challenges she faced, among others.

By Eniola Oyemolade

Was your admission into Industrial and Systems Engineering by accident or a choice?

My admission to Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) was a choice. In Senior Secondary School, I was in Engineering class, and a lot of my classmates wanted to be mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil engineers. I wanted something different because I felt the other engineering types were too common, so I asked my dad if there were any other types. As soon as he mentioned Industrial Engineering, I quickly did my research to find out what it was about. The whole idea of optimising systems and processes was the major reason I chose Industrial Engineering, along with the fact that I would have to do less physics, more math, and no biology.

What are some difficulties you faced while being a student and how did you overcome them?

One difficulty I faced was learning how to study properly. Coming from Nigeria, I was used to memorising my books and regurgitating information. It was my superpower. But here, I was in an environment where note-taking was optional and examination questions were mostly based on your level of understanding. So, I had to schedule times when I would read for each course. I also tried to develop my muscle memory by doing a lot of practice questions outside what was assigned in class. Another challenge was learning how to take breaks, especially when I started working on campus as a Peer Educator. My job enhanced my academic performance because I would tutor students in classes I was previously or currently taking (and they say teaching is the best form of learning). But between school and work, I did not take enough time to de-stress or even eat sometimes. As the semesters progressed, I took on more jobs, which made the days even more hectic. But, thankfully, I had friends who checked up on me to make sure I was doing well. I also spoke to my work supervisors who made my life easier at work.

Did you ever imagine graduating with the highest graduating honors in San Jose University?

Yes, I imagined it, and I even prayed for it every day. It was always my goal to excel at my academics because of so many reasons. And with the amount of work I was putting in, I did not expect anything less.

What do you think were the steps you took that ensured you finished with the highest graduating honors?

I did not fail to study, no matter how trivial the subject topic. I am not sure how popular this is in Nigerian universities, but for some of my classes, the professors allowed us to have note sheets while taking examinations. These note sheets are supposed to have important information like definitions, formulas, etc. (The reason for this is that if you have a problem in real life, you will realistically have the resources you need to solve the problem). Another point of these note sheets is to have all your information in one place so that your study session is not hectic; it helped me study smarter and faster.

When I worked as a tutor, I understood how important it was to take breaks. Our tutoring sessions were, at most, one hour long because after the one hour, studying becomes less and less impactful. So, I began to introduce other routines into my day to help relax my brain and improve my memory. I worked out at the gym and I tried to cook at home because it was also a form of self-care, and I was committed to having an average of eight hours of sleep daily.

Lastly, most of our engineering courses had projects that weighed, on average, 40% of the overall grade. Whenever there were projects, I made sure to accrue as many points as possible by participating very effectively. In summary, I took advantage of the “easier” parts of the courses to make up for any losses in the “harder” parts.

What influenced your choice of university?

I chose San Jose State University (SJSU) because it is in Silicon Valley, which is the heart of engineering and technology. Also, the Charles Davidson College of Engineering is in the top 10% of engineering schools ranking in the United States.

Have you always maintained a high GP from your first year or it was something that happened along the line?

In all my college, I only attained a B and B plus in two physics classes that I took. The rest were A-minus, A, or A-plus. So, I can say I started and ended strong.

Did you have any social life? How were you able to combine it with you academics?

I did not have much social life at the beginning of college. When I started working, I began hanging out with my co-workers and going on outings with them. Then I joined the Nigerian Student Association, where I met other Nigerians and some of them became my friends eventually. I was also attending events that were hosted by various organisations on campus, including the Black Student Union.

Balancing my social life with school work was not much of a problem when I had a schedule to follow. So, I socialised when I was free and when classes did not have lots of content yet.

Were you in any relationship?

No, I was not in any relationship, although it was a little bit intentional.

Did your choice of friends influence your success at all?

In a way, yes. Although, I did my own thing irrespective of what other people were doing but there were some of my friends that I looked up to. Also, I think (or I would like to hope) that I was an influence on some of my friends. Most of my friends were Nigerians, so they were also working in the same frequency as me.

What do you do now?

Right now, I am doing some computer and software skills development that will be helpful when I start working in the industry. I also plan to own a manufacturing facility or industry in the future, so I am looking into ways to make that a reality.

Did your parents have any influence on your success too? Yes, very much, they had a big influence on my success. Both my parents are scholars, and their highest level of education is up to the doctorate level. As such, they instilled in my siblings and me the importance of a good education. Most of my motivation for academic success came from my parents, especially seeing how they have been able to apply their educational achievement into their careers and the development of their community. My parents were not strict; I would say that they were disciplinarians. They are my go-to for anything I go through in life. They always tell me that if there is anything I want to achieve in this life, I can achieve it. And they are the reasons why I choose not to give up or slow down.

Would you say graduating with the highest graduating honors was easy?

It was not easy. I lost a lot of weight, and I was physically and mentally stressed. I broke down, often to the point of tears. Occasionally I would call my mum, and there would be tears in my eyes because I was so overwhelmed. But what kept me going was prayers and words of encouragement from my family and friends. For the goal I had, I knew that what I was going through was necessary. Another thing that cheered me up was seeing that other college students were struggling like me, so I was not going through it alone.

What advice would you give students who wish to be highly successful?

Find what you are good at, work hard at it until you can work smart, be focused and be determined.

Also, students should take advantage of the resources that are available to them such as tutoring, online videos and even classmates willing to help.

What changes would you love to see in Nigerian Universities ?

In the future, I hope that increased use of technology, better facilities, improved professional relationship between professors and students, increased research and internship opportunities for students are incorporated in our universities. The only factor that should limit the time it takes a student to graduate should be the number of classes they choose to take per semester, not something extraordinary. Studying in the United States has opened my eyes to what can be possible in the education sector.

Do you have plans on furthering your education?

Yes, I do. One of my life goals is to obtain a doctorate in a specialty of my choosing. But for now, I am looking to apply for a master’s program in Business Administration and an MSc in Industrial and Operations Engineering (or any relating program). A major challenge, however, has been how to fund the tuition and other fees, so I am applying to scholarships as well.

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