A University of Ibadan (UI) alumna, Funmi Omisope, has shared her inspiring journey from battling low self-esteem to building a career helping vulnerable children and adolescents. Funmi, who studied Guidance and Counselling at the prestigious institution, spoke with Legit.ng about how she discovered her passion for counselling long before she realised it was an academic discipline.
Childhood Struggle Shapes UI Alumna
Speaking about her earliest experience with counselling, Funmi recalled how a hurtful nickname given to her by her mother's friend affected her confidence for years. She spent much of her secondary school years believing negative comments about herself, which contributed to poor academic performance and low self-worth.
She told Legit.ng: 'So, growing up, I struggled with chronic low self-esteem because of a name my mum's friend called me, a name I quietly accepted as my identity without ever telling anyone about it. For more than a decade of my formative years, I was a prisoner of her words. I failed through secondary school, carrying the weight of that label everywhere I went.'
Funmi said the turning point came one day when she looked at herself in a mirror and decided to challenge the negative beliefs she had accepted for years. She added: 'Then one day, while dressing up in front of a mirror, I caught a glimpse of myself and started a conversation with myself, something I later learned is called mirror therapy. What she had called me was “Oburewa Merindinlogun,” which means “sixteen ugly girls put together in one.” As I looked at myself, I asked, “If someone who looks like this joined your class as a new student, would you want her to be your friend?” Without hesitation, I answered, “Of course, I would.” Then I shouted, “Funmi, you are beautiful!” That very day, I broke free from the lie I had carried for years.'
The confidence boost transformed her life. After returning to secondary school as an SS2 student, she quickly became one of the most prominent students in the school. Sharing her earliest memory of guiding someone, she said: 'Soon after, I told my dad that since I would be rewriting my Senior School Certificate Examination, I wanted to be enrolled in SS2 instead of SS3. He couldn't quite understand why, but I was experimenting with something. I wanted a taste of the secondary school experience I had missed because I had spent so many years hiding behind insecurity. He agreed, and I was enrolled in SS2. On my first day back, I told myself, “Funmi, these people don't know your story. To them, you are who you say you are.” So I walked into that school with my head held high and my shoulders squared. Within three months, I became the Senior Girl of the school. I got my light back. From that moment on, I made it a personal mission to look out for people, especially young people, and help them understand why they must never internalise the negative comments, labels, or opinions that others place on them.'
How Admission to UI Helped Find Purpose
Funmi said her sense of purpose began to develop shortly after gaining admission to the University of Ibadan. She credited members of Winners Campus Fellowship for helping her settle into university life and introducing her to a community that encouraged personal growth. According to her, she started visiting a juvenile remand home in Ibadan with friends just months after becoming an undergraduate.
Talking about her sense of purpose in Guidance and Counselling, she said: 'I found my sense of purpose quite early as an undergraduate, thanks largely to members of Winners Campus Fellowship, University of Ibadan who took me in during my first week at the University of Ibadan and gave me a community where I could grow. Just a few months after gaining admission, even before writing my first examination, I began visiting the Juvenile Remand Home in Ibadan with a few friends. After several months, I felt led to focus on street children instead, particularly children from Niger Republic who were begging around our campus gate. While many of my friends eventually dropped off because the path seemed difficult and uncertain, one person stayed the course with me, Ayo Bankole Adetujoye, now the CEO of Caladium Consulting. Those children became my family throughout my university years. That was how Kings and Queens Circle was established, which later evolved into Home and Street Kids Welfare Initiative (HSKi). So, purpose did not come as a sudden revelation tied to my admission into Guidance and Counselling. It grew through service. The more I engaged with vulnerable children, the clearer my calling became.'
UI Graduate Speaks About Gaps in Understanding Adolescents
Despite spending years working with vulnerable children, Funmi said she realised there were important gaps in her understanding of adolescent behaviour. Her experiences with street-connected children exposed her to the long-term effects of trauma, rejection and neglect. She explained that while her undergraduate training and professional courses prepared her to run an organisation, she wanted a deeper understanding of adolescent psychology.
She said: 'Working with street-connected children for over two decades exposed me to the hidden reasons many adolescents end up on the streets and why so many struggle to leave. Over the years, I've seen innocent, kind children gradually become hardened by trauma, rejection, and life on the streets. While my first degree and professional courses prepared me to lead our organisation, I realised there was a gap in my understanding of adolescent behaviour and how to help these children achieve lasting change. That realisation pushed me back to school for my master's, to better understand their minds, guide their rehabilitation, preserve the kindness they were born with, and help them become assets to society.'
Advice for Students Who Didn't Get Their First Choice
Many Nigerian students end up studying courses that were not their first choice during university admission. Speaking on the issue, Funmi encouraged such students not to lose hope. She told Legit.ng: 'Even though that wasn't my experience, I've seen many people who were admitted into courses that weren't their first choice and eventually discovered purpose in them. Some even built successful careers from those courses. My advice is to keep an open mind. No course is a waste. Attend your classes and study not just to pass exams, but to truly gain knowledge. Your certificate is simply proof that you've acquired that knowledge. Sometimes, the path you didn't choose turns out to be the one you're meant to walk.'
