Special Interview: “I Worked With All Consciousness To Change My Family Narrative” Dolapo Olugbile, First Class Graduate of UI From Iseyin

Special Interview:

“I Worked With All Consciousness To Change My Family Narrative” Dolapo Olugbile, First Class Graduate of UI From Iseyin

The Chronicler Newspaper had an interview with Dolapo Olugbile, a First Class graduate of Biomedical Laboratory Science, who was celebrated during the convocation ceremony on the Premiere University, UI, Ibadan a week ago on his experiences as a young boy who craved education to change his narrative about life, especially having been raised in a polygamous family.

Enjoy the interview:

The Chronicler Newspaper: What is your name?

Dolapo: I am Dolapo D. Olugbile
A graduate of the University of Ibadan.

The Chronicler Newspaper: Tell is about your growing up and how life has treated you.

Dolapo: I am the 8th child of my father and the second born from my mother’s side.
I was not born with silver spoon and growing up was not a bed of roses. I was born into a family where the possibility of attending university is almost 100% but my story of living outside my parent’s care and living with my uncles from my mother’s side served as a catalyst.

I lived amidst people who understood the value of education.
My personal story taught me that truly inequalities indeed permeate the fabric of our world, and that consciousness with my tenacity and unswerving desire to pursue a medical career so as to change my family narratives, continues to energize me to stand up for the world, primarily through education and healthcare.

In addition, I grew up with great enthusiasm for reading and listening to great speeches written and delivered by great men and women. Through these, I discovered that I can be anything I dreamt of in spite of circumstantial limitations.

The Chronicler Newspaper: What is your course of Study?

Dolapo: I read Biomedical Laboratory Science

The Chronicler Newspaper: It is natural that as a young male undergraduate, friends would want to influence you to engage in having a female lover. How did you overcome this?

Dolapo: Very true! Many students allow themselves to be influenced negatively.

But as an ambitious young man, while going to the university I made a promise to myself, which is to shun every uneccessary relationships that may have bad influence on my academics. According to the words of Jim Rohn, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Proverb 22:6 also states that “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Thanks to my uncles who trained me to be disciplined. I was faithful to my goals and I discplined myself.

There is a popular saying of one of my mentors, Dr Myles Munroe that I cherish most, “if you know where you are going, you will equally know where you need not to go. You will also know who you need not to associate with.” All of these put together, constantly reminds me to remain focus on my goals and purpose on campus and in life altogether.

The Chronicler Newspaper: Hmmmmmm! Was there a particular incident you will not forget in the course of achieving this academic feat?

Dolapo: Yes! Many to recounts. Especially when God showed up for me on many occasions.

There were days I didn’t have money to pay for accommodation levy and strangers would pay for me. A student paid for me in year three and my Hall Warden paid for me in year four and an unknown person paid my year five accommodation levy when it was increased and was beyond what I could afford (smiles). These are remarkable incidents I can never forget.

The Chronicler Newspaper: How did you survive the financial expectations as an undergraduate?

Dolapo: It was all with the help of my mother through various applications for loan and scholarships.

The Chronicler Newspaper: How did she do it with her meager salary?

She was very caring and kind hearted! She wanted her children to excel in life. More reason why I am dedicating this feat to her!

She starved herself to pay our school fee. As a primary school teacher, she took many loans. Some of these loans spans through the year and even more.

She was just so resilient and kind hearted! This is also my experience with my dad. He did everything within his capacity to aid my quest for education. He is a dependable father that supports his children to achieve greatness. I am indebted to him.

The Chronicler Newspaper: What particular advice will you give to the young ones coming behind you especially those with interest in having your kind of achievement but without parental support?

Dolapo: Please do not give up. Whatever the mind of a man can conceive, it can achieve!

There are many occasions where I had to sell crates of eggs, pens, liquid soaps etc to support myself while on campus because I really do not believe in excuses. The day I read that Dr. Benjamin Carson (a renowned neurosurgeon) sold newspapers while in medical school and that his mother was a cleaner changed my life, perspectives and view about how I see challenges.

Life is generally full of challenges, but you must grow past and rise above them. Do all you have to do to get to where you are going. Stop complaining, start seeking and developing yourself. Stop focusing on what you have lost or don’t have, start focusing on what you do have.

According to the word of Bishop David Oyedepo, “Responsibility is the price for greatness and only those who stay focused on their task end up as front-liners.” Take responsibility!

The Chronicler Newspaper: You have not told me the next step after this and what is your goal in life.

Dolapo: As God gives the grace, next is Postgraduate studies and in the nearest future, because of my love for researches in the field of Immunology and infectious diseases, I am looking forward to contributing my notable quota in these fields of medicine.