•To fully concentrate on my studies, I bought chair, reading table before buying bed
By Abdulkabir Muhammed
Romoke Lasisi, a former cleaner at GTB and first-class graduate of Mathematics who scored 4.94/5.00 CGPA, from the University of Ilorin veered into data science and teaching shortly after graduation. In this interview with Saturday Sun, she shares her success strategy despite coming from a humble background.
“I’m so happy that even though it was difficult, I was able to achieve it. I was able to achieve the feat against all odds, and I’m grateful to God,” she told Saturday Sun.
What inspired you in your journey to academic success? What kept you going?
What kept me moving was that I see the transformative power that education holds when you come from a very humble background. Your number one way to success is education. It positions you for greatness and all of that. So, I see that with education, I would be able to rewrite the story, become better, make my parents proud, and do things for the community too. That’s the only way things can get better. So, it is the need for change, for things to get better, give back to the community, and become a better person. That’s just it.
Before you gained admission into the university, did you set that goal or target for yourself?
No, I didn’t. I didn’t really know about first class then. Even when I gained admission, all I knew was that I wanted to go to the university. You know, when I see people in NYSC uniform, I’m always like, one day I’m going to get this; I’m going to graduate. But, I didn’t really know about first class. I didn’t know how it works or why it is important. When I gained admission, we were told that if you don’t have a minimum of 1.5 CGPA, you are going to face Tanke, a popular saying in my school which means that you will be expelled. I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to make sure that I moved to the best level.
Did you ever dream of studying more complex courses, like medicine or engineering?
Yes. In my first JAMB attempt, I applied for Civil Engineering, but I wasn’t offered admission because I didn’t meet the required Post-UTME cut-off mark. At that time, I was working as a sales representative, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., which made preparing for the exam very challenging. It was during my second JAMB attempt, when I chose the University of Ilorin, that I was offered admission to study Mathematics. At that time, I was working as a cleaner at GTBank.
When you chose Unilorin, what did you apply for?
When I chose Unilorin, I applied for Computer Engineering, but I was offered Mathematics.
There is this popular saying that if you are from a poor background, it will affect your trajectory. How do you explain that based on your experience?
Yes, I think so. But I will say that from my personal perspective, I would say it largely depends on the person and the mindset. One thing about me is that whenever I find myself in a situation, even in an unpleasant one, I don’t really focus much on the problem; rather, I focus on the solution. What is the next thing? What can I do? How can this thing get better? There is this saying that you shouldn’t be a product of your circumstances. You should be a product of your decision.
Do you think peers have a role to play in achieving academic excellence, and what are your peers like?
In school, I didn’t have so many friends. I had very few. And, I will say that the kind of friends you keep matters a lot, and they shape you. My friends were also go-getters. My circle was very small, and they were go-getters. We read together. If there was any question or any topic taught in class that we didn’t understand, we read more on it and exchanged materials with one another.
Do you have any role models?
I have role models. My mentors are my role models. They are the people who came through for me, financially, morally, and everything in my academic journey. Some of them I met online, but didn’t see them physically for years.
Who would you describe as the most supportive to you during your university days?
I can’t say one person. I like to describe myself as a collection of people’s efforts. If you ask me people who played major roles in my life, I would say my mother, my guardians and my mentors. I didn’t live with my mother. I was staying with my guardians. And yes, they are my family. I have been living with them for a long time, and they play a major role in my life. They made sure that I gained admission; the encouragement and the support. So, I cannot actually point to one person, because they all did amazing things in my life.
What challenges, if any, did you face while you were in school? How did you manage them?
The challenges when I was in school were securing accommodation. When I gained admission, my friend, with whom I went to the same secondary school, accommodated me. I told her that I would be staying at her place. And she accepted me, but we were many, sharing the room. One of our roommates and I decided to rent a room at the hostel, but in the process of searching for a hostel, her brother got her a roommate. So, she already had someone that she could share the room with, while I was left with nobody. But the new girl said that I could stay with them, pending the time I would get my own place. Although when I was there, they were very nice to me. After staying with them for a month, I got a roommate, and then I moved to my own hostel. Even at that time, I didn’t have a bed. In fact, I bought my reading table and chair before I bought a bed, because I felt the bed was my comfort zone. I needed something that would keep me on my toes.
Also, managing expectations can be challenging. Being one of the top students often means people expect you to know everything, and sometimes they even test your knowledge with questions. My approach is simple—if someone asks me a question about something I don’t know at that moment, I’m honest about it. I’ll say, ‘Give me some time, I’ll study it and get back to you with the solution or explanation.’ This way, I don’t pretend to know it all.
I also face imposter syndrome as a challenge. Sometimes I study a course extensively, yet it still feels like I don’t know anything. That feeling is so frustrating because, in reality, I do know something—if I pick up a pen and paper, I can solve questions relating to that course. But imposter syndrome often blinds me from seeing my little wins, and instead, I beat myself up over small mistakes. Whether in a test or an exam, my mind stays unsettled until the results are out, and this used to drain my energy a lot, especially in my 100 and 200 levels. I often felt like I wasn’t good enough, but I still had to put on a smile and acted like nothing was wrong.
It wasn’t easy to share these struggles openly—most times, only my close circle knew. Mathematics, as a course, is unforgiving; one small mistake in your working can affect everything down to the final answer. Sometimes, the fear of making mistakes actually led me to make them. I would only realise after leaving the exam or test hall, and that would break me. I cried many times when that happened.
Beyond academics, I’ve also had to deal with hurtful comments — like someone saying I started school at the age I’m supposed to be married. Those words make me feel like I’m behind in life, and they feed into the self-doubt I already battle.
But with time, talking to my senior course mates that I look up to and academic mentors helped me put things in perspective. I began to understand that mistakes are part of learning. If I stay calm during an exam, I can often spot and correct them before submitting. I also came to accept that having a high CGPA doesn’t mean I must always have the highest score in every course. Scoring 75 or 80 when the highest score is 85+ is still a win, and that’s okay.
Finally, prayer also helped me through this challenge. It gave me peace and strength to handle the pressure and reminded me that my worth isn’t only measured by grades.
Based on your experience, how would you react to the perception that first-class students don’t have social lives?
When it comes to social life, it really depends on how you define it. Personally, I’ve never been someone who attends parties often, even before gaining admission. If parties are the only measure of social life, then I probably don’t have much of it. But I do enjoy attending tech conferences, academic events, and spending time with friends when we have picnics or other gatherings. So, I participate in social activities when it feels necessary and meaningful, but not excessively.
How was every day like for you as an undergraduate?
It’s going to school, learning data science, attending tutorials, teaching other people, and attending Madrasah. Sometimes, on weekends, I’m at home.
Could you please walk me through your extracurricular activities while you were in school?
I don’t participate in many extracurricular activities. I only do tech. My friends and I founded a tech initiative, and we trained people. I think I did that two times. The Emerging Minds Foundation, then, there is another one: Towards Success Initiative. So, for me, it’s always about impact. What can I do for people to get better? So, if I’m not using my time to read only, I also think about what I can give back to the community. And recently, I went to Kenya as an assistant data science tutor.
People say mathematics lecturers are tough. What’s your reaction to that?
I can only relate based on my own department. I see them as being diligent. I do not see them as sadists. When you say tough, it depends. A lecturer can be tough in terms of what he or she teaches, or he is just a principled person. Some lecturers want you to come to class every day and submit assignments. Some of us may consider that as wickedness. But I don’t see it that way. They are just things that you need to do if you are in a higher institution. I had diligent lecturers who did what was expected. They teach well. And if you work hard, you get your grades.
Do you have any reading style?
I wouldn’t say I have a reading style. I read in the afternoon and at night, but mainly I prefer to read in the afternoon. If the afternoon reading was not enough for me, I’m definitely going to read at night. Then, for me, another thing is that I don’t always wait for tests or exams to be around the corner. I start reading as early as possible.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for after school were to undertake my NYSC programme, then apply for postgraduate offers like scholarships, master’s or PhD; and get a remote job to keep supporting myself, and give back to the community.
How would you advise younger students working towards achieving a first-class?
I would like to say that education is not a scam. A first-class degree is not something to be underrated—it positions you for opportunities, makes you stand out among others, and puts you in the running for doors to open. But once your first-class has brought those opportunities to your doorstep, it becomes your responsibility to utilise them. Your degree can open the door, but you are the one who must walk through it.
Also, success is not measured by money alone. Yes, money is important, but don’t be too fixated on it. Focus on building yourself, doing what you are passionate about, and giving value. When you consistently add value, the money will come. Your education is never a scam, and if you achieve a first-class, it is something to be proud of. If you don’t, it doesn’t make you any less of a person—wherever you are, your journey is still valid.
The post Romoke Lasisi: From cleaner to first-class graduate appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
