I am Muhammed Jamiu Atanda, a graduate of the Department of Religions and Peace Studies in the Faculty of Arts, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.85. My journey through LASU has been one of self-discovery, personal growth, and building core competencies, a place where I discovered much more of who I am and what I am capable of.
Aside from my academic excellence, I'm most proud of the leadership responsibilities I held, serving as President of my department while also contributing as Public Relations Officer and Chairman of the Jihad Week Planning Committee under MSSN-LASU. I began as a member of my department's Student Legislative Council, sat on the Faculty Budget Committee, eventually became the 8th President of the Association of Religious and Peace Studies Students, volunteered at initiatives like the LASUSU Intervarsity Debate Competition and World Cleanup Day, and cofounded Bookish Mentorship Hub with Emiola Habeeb.
Financial difficulty was one of my major challenges, initially affecting me significantly until my academic excellence earned me a scholarship from the First Class Muslim Foundation, which provided holistic support throughout my undergraduate years. LASU taught me resilience, and that nothing truly worthwhile comes easily, and that the person I become is first shaped by what I believe about myself. I was named Executive of the Year at MSSN-LASU and received a Certificate of Academic Excellence from my faculty.
My friends, particularly Emiola Habeeb, Ridwan Oshekere, Eleshin Sumayyah, Oyalowo Waheedh, and Alimon Toheeb, have been my biggest source of inspiration, people who share similar goals and constantly push me to become better.
My advice to current and incoming students is to never start your day without a to-do list, since the discipline to step back from distractions is what separates excellent students from the rest. As I remind myself often: in the end, may it not be heard that I failed.