From Grass to Grace

by Oluwaseyi Osho (Nigeria)

I didn't expect to find Nigeria

To some people, trait isn’t a natural phenomenon but a nurtured one. Every man is a product of his experiences or better put, a product of his early conditioning. Unlike some folks who acclaim that they are born with a silver spoon, I wasn’t born with any spoon at all. I was born into the family of a trader and a struggling teacher who had four of their siblings staying with them in a one-room apartment in Lagos. Not only that, I grew up in an environment where juvenile delinquency was the order of the day. To worsen the whole issues, my mother and father were separated, not on the premise of divorce but the demand of his job. My teenage and adolescent stages were void of fatherly care, warmth and support because I saw him once in a year and the reliable means of communication was through posting of letters. I was kicked out of school several times for not paying my fees promptly and my academic performance was nose-diving with no one to encourage me. My destiny was left in the hands of fate and the community I found myself. I was rejected, forsaken and written off in the race of destiny. After my secondary education, I faced the most traumatic moment of my life; I couldn’t gain admission into the higher institution for six years, despite sitting for numerous entrance examinations. I was at the verge of throwing in the towel when I took my last Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Examination. The attempt was like the last bite of a battered lion. Surprisingly, I bagged my Eureka moment by gaining a university admission to study Business Administration, although all this while, I had my gaze on Accounting or Economics. A beggar has no choice, so they say. I quickly grabbed the admission offer without delay, but the ugly hurdle of financial constraint surfaced. As if that wasn’t enough, my father was struck with partial paralysis while my mother suffered a terrible loss in her business. Fortunately for me, few days to the payment deadline, family and friends graciously rallied round to raise the needed amount to fund the school bills. This was indeed a consolation for me in such a time of distress. Still vague about what I wanted to achieve in life, I roamed the campus fulfilling all the clichés so as to feel among. This was however short lived with a moment of sober reflection; I sat to think about my past and thought it wise to plan for the future. I realised that the destinies of my siblings rested on my decision to make the best out of my academic pursuit, so I decided to attain the highest feat academically. My decision propelled me to burn the midnight oil when my mates were fast asleep, I spent hours in the university library studying, I attended extramural classes and chose the right company. Eventually, I fell in love with Business Administration and People Management. Thus, I gave all the courses I took the best shots. At the end of my four years course in the university, I emerged as the most outstanding male student with a distinction. My parents, siblings and friends were wowed by my result. I was elated because against all odds, I not only achieved my dream, I also broke the jinx in my family as the first university graduate. As a popular singer said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel”. I was able to stumble into limelight and my life moved from grass to grace. My experiences thus far, have made me to be tenacious, resilience, relentless and intentional about my goals and ambition.