A youth corps member who was posted to the University of Ibadan (UI) to serve at the Department of Biomedical Engineering has shared his experience as he bagged two major awards during his NYSC service year. The individual, identified as Emoemi Magi, took to LinkedIn to recount his journey from being the overall best graduating student to becoming the CDS President.
Outstanding Academic Background
The young man stated in a viral post that he graduated from Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) as the overall best graduating student with an impressive CGPA of 4.82/5.0. He revealed that during his graduation, he received several awards and became a graduate member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), among other professional bodies.
Emoemi Magi wrote: "From the Overall Best Graduating Student to Corps President, 'The Arc is Complete.' Some people peak once. I decided to peak twice. At graduation, I walked away as the Overall Best Graduating Student of the institution, OAUSTECH, with a CGPA of 4.82/5.0. This led to my receiving 12 prizes, including the Mrs. Josephine Ajua Ahonaruogho Prize. I am now also a proud Graduate Member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), a Graduate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), and a member of the International Association of Engineers (IAENG). That was the academic summit."
NYSC Journey and Leadership Roles
He went on to recount his NYSC journey and how he emerged as the president of his CDS group. Emoemi Magi continued: "Then NYSC happened. I was posted to the University of Ibadan to serve at the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I began as General Secretary of the Environmental and Sanitation Syndicate, Ibadan North II, where I set a standard for outreach activity reporting that earned recognition from the Local Government Inspector (LGI)."
He added: "My reports documented every community outreach we executed. They were visually structured, fully formatted, and designed to communicate impact clearly. That's what happens when an engineer takes notes. I later became the CDS Group President. Every CDS day, I stood before my fellow corps members and delivered prepared enlightenment talks on relevant topics. I did it consistently, week after week. So when the NYSC State Coordinator visited, the choice of who would deliver the vote of thanks was never really a debate, even in the presence of the CDS Coordinator and the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO). Reputation had already made the decision."
Awards Received During POP
Months after being posted to the University of Ibadan for his NYSC service, he explained that while he did not receive academic awards, he was honoured with community development and leadership awards. The brilliant graduate who recently concluded his NYSC programme spoke about the awards he received during his Passing Out Parade and the contributions he made during his service year.
He added: "Today, at my Passing Out Parade, I didn't collect academic awards. I collected leadership and community development awards, and that distinction means everything to me. The academic boy had already been celebrated. Today, the leader was. On the research side, the work never stopped either: one paper published, three papers submitted to international conferences, three more papers in preparation. A door has quietly opened toward doctoral research, and I'm paying attention."
He concluded: "I have refined my academic journey to its highest level and am still refining it. I have refined my leadership journey to its highest level and am still refining it. Now, I step into life fully ready. The khaki is off. The next chapter has no uniform. Just vision, discipline, and work."
None of this happened in isolation. He specially thanked his lecturers, Engr. Babatunde Iyaomolere, PhD, and Dr. Patrick Taiwo Ogunboyo, PhD, for opening doors in his research journey, and his friend Racheal Olaniyi for her support during low moments.
