From Fred Itua, Abuja
A 22-year-old Miss Josephine Adah, has bagged a First Class in Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, Enugu State.
Adah, who hails from Cross River State, said her love for Mathematics as a child, propelled her to study engineering, despite being considered a male-dominated discipline.
She said financial challenges she faced in school, having lost her father at a tender age, did not discourage her from targeting a first class at the prestigious university in Enugu.
Miss Adah revealed how her membership of professional bodies while at the university, also aided her academic successes
“When I got to school, I joined communities in school like the Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria (APWEN), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and the Association of Catholic Engineering Students (ACES). These communities were the foundation of my growth. They groomed, mentored and taught first-year students on how to build character, capacity, the resilience to excel in the tertiary institution.
“As I advanced in my year of study, I joined AIESEC, Student Personal Development Hub (SPDH) and the UNN Scholars Accelerators to build leadership skills and take up civic engagement responsibilities,” she revealed.
On her next big plans, Adah said: “I don’t have a big plan; I consistently take baby steps. I plan to get an Entry-level position. I am interested in the Energy, Tech (Artificial Intelligence Research), Construction and Management Consulting industries.
“I am also working towards graduate studies in the interception between Civil Engineering (Infrastructure and Energy) with Artificial Intelligence. I am also committed to supporting youth development organizations to advance quality education, clean energy and sustainable cities.
“I faced financial challenges where I could not afford some of my learning resources at school. However, I am grateful to senior colleagues and classmates that assisted me with books. I started some petty business and got awarded with the National Merit Scholarship from NNPC/Total that assisted in easing the financial burden.
“I also experienced low access to electricity where I stayed at home. I am not usually productive at home compared to when I am at school. When we were sent home from school because of industrial actions by ASUU, my learnings were usually daunted because I couldn’t continue learning as much as I would love to with little or no access to electricity, she said.