Today is a Very Special Day in My Life. The Most Special Day till day. I am filled with joy, happiness, and gratitude to GOD. My JOY is so much. GOD has been so faithful to me. I can not believe TODAY is HERE.
Today's blog post encourages anyone going through hard times and difficulties and losing hope. To any individual praying tirelessly for GOD's intervention and mighty hand.
Here is a little bit of my life story to encourage you. A few of my goals and dreams. A little bit of who I am. My story inspires you to never give up on your dreams. I tried my best to be as authentic and honest in this post as possible to inspire many.
Primary School: The Rock Montessori School
Every Human on Earth has a dream. Whether Big or Small. We all carry something in our hearts called our Deepest Heart Desires. Mine lay in my Academics. Let's begin the story and lessons.
Ever Since I was a child, my biggest dream has been to be SMART. VERY SMART. INTELLIGENT. It sounds so funny, but this was my dream. I wanted to gain knowledge and be the most intelligent individual ever.
I was born and lived in Nigeria for the first eleven years of my life. I attended a private Christian School called The Rock Montessori School. At the Rock, I had several struggles, from a reading disability to struggling in spelling quizzes or bees to struggling to achieve A's in my classes.
The struggles were a lot. It was so bad that during Primary 4, I cheated in school by taking my test book to grade at home, giving myself all 10/10, and returning the book to school.
When my teacher asked me once she discovered it, I denied it several times, and other teachers gave to know and then the Head Principal. My mom got to know about it, and it led to the two prominent scars on my left thigh to this day.
The struggles pushed me to the wall. There is never an excuse for cheating.
I got only one award during a school week in Primary 6: Most Well Behaved because I worked hard to behave myself all week that week.
After my primary school graduation in May of 2012, my mom asked me how I would have felt if my children had received no awards in their primary school education. I had no answers.
I had no answers to the challenges I had in primary school. I do not have many great memories of this phase of my life. I am just thankful that GOD brought me through it.
Middle School: John T Baker Middle School
In September 2012, my family and I relocated to the United States. It was on September 29th. On October 15th, 2012, I began school at John T. Baker Middle School. I was placed in Advanced Math and Regular English after taking a placement test. Placement Tests are done for students from a different country to school.
The 6th and 7th grades were the turning points in my academics. I receive the AB Honor Roll and a free Chick-fil-A sandwich Coupon every quarter. I received a Graderst C in midQuarterool in the third quarter of seventh grade. I was placed in Advanced History but could not advance to Higher History in the eighth grade because of my reading disability. I remember asking my teacher, and He stated clearly that my reading was the problem.
In the summer of 2014, my family and I relocated from Maryland to North Carolina. The reason behind this was to be able to obtain a better life. North Carolina was defined as family-friendly and more affordable.
I was enrolled in the 8th grade. Upon arrival, I got on the AB Honor Roll in the third quarter and graduated with the Self-Determination Award. My academic struggles continued in eighth grade, but Grader persevered.
High School: GRACE Christian School
On August 10th, 2015, I began High School. Before high school, my parents searched for the best high school for me because of its significance to my college career. I was asked to choose between three schools and GRACE Christian School.
It was love at first sight. I remember the Head Principal asking me why GRACE.
I stated it was because of their Academic Rigor.
I was determined to succeed in High School. Ninth and Tenth Grades were complex. The dreamer was dreaming. She dreamed of getting all A's into all Eight Ivy League Schools and an award on her Senior Year Night.
The dreamer was dreaming, and her dreams were going nowhere.
In January 2018, I remember my mother praying: Let Toluwanimi enter her academic rest this year. In March 2018, I finally obtained my first AB Honor Roll for my high school career.
In August of 2018, my senior year of High School Began. It is surreal to believe that this was five years ago.
I began applying early to college. I applied to five schools and got into three. On Monday, January 28th, 2019, I was down about not getting into UNC Chapel Hill, and my mother stated nothing could be done about it. But what was so profound about that day was the still little voice I heard in my spirit as my mother pulled up to school.
I heard: "What if you end up at UNCG?". I replied to the voice: that ghetto school.
Looking back on this shows my passion for UNC Chapel Hill.
UNC Greensboro was the third choice. UNC-Chapel Hill is number one, followed by UNC Charlotte.
Twelfth Grade was GREAT. It was the Final and Best Year. I got AB and A Honor Roll and had no final exams.
May 3rd, 2019, was the Senior Year Awards Night, and I had no expectations. I was already praying to GOD that I received something because of my mother.
To my surprise, when the Christian Character Award was called. I was one out of the 12 recipients.
My High School Graduation took place on Friday, May 24th, 2019. I was so emotional after the ceremony.
College: UNC Greensboro
On Tuesday, August 13th, 2019. I began my college journey. I participated in a three-day program called SPARTAN Base Camp the summer before. So far, you have probably learned a lot of lessons, but this is where the main lessons begin:
I was determined to get out of my comfort zone and achieve the most of the four years, and for the first time in my life, my dreams matched my reality.
Writing these words, I still cannot believe that all my dreams academically became my reality in college.
Lesson #1: Stay in the Presence of GOD: Despite all the academic challenges I have been through. The only place and thing I could do every time was pray. The Place of Prayer was my safe place. My Resting Place. My Place of Vulnerability. After receiving my report card in ninth grade, I Graduated with a 3.25 GPA to the window and kept asking GOD, what do you plan to do with this?
Which college would accept this?
I was worried and had no hope, but I kept praying to succeed academically.
My Academics is all I wanted to succeed in. Each time I was in the Presence of GOD, there were things that God would show me, but no one else around me could see them.
I remember one profound question I would ask Him is? How are we getting from here to there? How? My Report Card Does Not Reflect There.
It got to a point where I had to keep the visions to myself. During my final semester, I learned the significance of spending time in the present. I isolated myself from the world and prepared for the glory of GOD to be reflected. There is nothing like the Presence of GOD, and I want to spend all my DAYS there. GOD is my life. My name means I BELONG TO GOD. My Relationship with GOD is the reason why I am here.
Lesson#2: Every dream and manifestation has a set time. Remember I told you earlier that I have wanted to be a Student since childhood? It happened during my first semester at UNCG.
When it happened, it felt normal. I was not excited; I was neutral. I had to achieve a 93 on my final exam in Western Art History to achieve this, and my GOD and I did.
My five-year-old would not believe it would take until I was eighteen to achieve this goal, but she did.
Lesson #3: Never Give Up on Your Dreams (DREAM BIG): I cannot describe the depth of hope my college career has given me. I could not believe all the success, opportunities, and achievements I experienced at UNCG. There is a set place for every man to succeed, and until He is at His Set Place and Time, He will not succeed.
Lesson #4: Learn How to Block Out the Negativity: There were mentally challenging days during my sophomore year fall semester. I went through something challenging in my first year that affected me mentally throughout the semester.
I had to learn to escape my mind while in school. I prayed throughout the semester. I prayed through exams. I prayed through assignments. I prayed through repeated words and voices and ended on December 5th, 2020, with a 3.9 Semester GPA.
Lesson #4: Take Advantage of Your Opportunities: Opportunities often come just once. There are specific opportunities that, once they come, never come back. I took advantage of my opportunities in college.
The First was enrolling in the Leadership Challenges: Bronze, Silver, and Gold and working to achieve them at the assigned time. I completed Bronze during the Fall 2019 Semester. I completed Silver during the Spring 2020 Semester and then the Gold throughout my sophomore year.
This opportunity opened more doors for me at UNCG—doors of Leadership, Research, etc.
The Next Opportunity was becoming a University Marshal. On Thursday, March 18th, 2021, I received an email inviting me to join the University Marshals.
I applied out of faith, and on April 5th, 2021, I received a call and email stating that out of 700 applicants, 4o were chosen, and I was one of them. This is 0.05% of the applicants.
E. Lesson #5: Keep Speaking Life: Proverbs 18:21 states, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." The power in your words determines the course of your life. As I was starting my first semester at UNCG, I wrote out a list of daily affirmations and proclamations. One was achieving a 3.75 GPA and above each semester, and another was academic excellence and favor. Each proclamation manifested in my life, and my words surpassed my expectations.
F. Lesson #6: Be Persistent and Prayerful: Prayer brought me to this point. I pray about everything and anything. First Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Throughout my college career, I prayed about everything, and GOD answered all my prayers.
G. Lesson #7: Keep the Focus: As my Mama will always say, Keep the Focus. Keep Focused on your dreams. Keep Focused on the Bigger Picture. Keep Focused on tomorrow. Your today is building your tomorrow.
If you work hard today and plant the right seeds today, you will reap it in full and in due season.
Today, I Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro:
- Chief Marshal of the 2022-2023 Academic School Year
- The Bell Ringer of the Class of 2023
- Philanthropy Commencement Cord
- From Honors College
- From Honors Society
- As a Student in the Chancellors Ambassador Program Stone
- With Bronze, Silver, and Gold Leadership Challenge Medal
- With Marshal Medal
- 4.00 (2 Semesters)
- Every Semester (Dean's List and Chancellor's List)
- Most importantly, I graduated with my GOD (who gave me honor, acknowledgment, and distinction).
From The Rock Montessori School to John T. Baker Middle School to GRACE Christian School and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
I am excited about the next chapter of my life, and I know GOD has many great things in store. I hope my story inspired you. God is Faithful, and He will not fail you. He did it for me, and I know He will Do it for You, Too.
Thank You For Reading. God Bless You ❤️.
Comments