HI, my name is Vincent, living in Port Harcourt city of Nigeria. I was born in a locality where there were no good schools then. I grew up with great excitement and passion for education. I kept telling myself that one day I will be among those notable for high educational qualification. Though there were no good schools in my locality, but being my mother's first child out seven, my parents made effort and sent me to the one available in their time and there I had my primary school education. My Dad was was not comfortable sending me to secondary feeling that I was too small to go secondary school after my primary school education.
Though he already nursed the thought of doing so but for the fear of being too small, he kept me wasting three more years at home to come up a little bit. He eventually gave me the node to go to secondary school and I had my secondary education. As a non educated local farmer living in the locality, he did not see the need of making further effort of sending me to tertiary institution after my secondary education, though I could not blame him because it was only a very few privileged people that could afford tertiary education then. The passion and the drive to go for further education was in- built and burning in me. This passion drove me into rice farming as my father then had a very good and expansive marshy land for rice farming. I was able to farm and saved little earnings from my rice farm through my Mom who always did not hide her support for my further education but was not financially okay to do the much she desired.
From the little savings, I got admission to my state Polytechnic to study electrical/electronic engineering. I was an underdog, a local boy stepping out into the four walls of tertiary institution, then the hunger to go beyond that level was still high but the resources to achieve it was obviously not there. It was a big battle between success and failure (drop out) for financial reason.
As the battle to succeed raged on, little did I know that the power of focus was at play in me. I decided in my heart that the only thing that could make me drop out does not exist except God, and God was not in support of my drop out. Hope came alive when after two years of battling and struggling I graduated as a National Diploma (ND) holder in Electrical/Electronic Engineering; the first from my Village. After the ND, it was no longer passion but fire to continue and began to consume me. I made another attempt on rice farming and this time it yielded a big and fruitful results than before. The follow up was that; I secured admission to one of the Federal Polytechnics in another far away state as only very few polytechnics were accredited by National Board for technical Education to offer Higher National Diploma (HND) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering course. As soon as I got admission to study HND, I began to feel a sense of satisfaction, though the passion for further study after HND was still there.
The power of focus was my ultimate driver. I graduated after two years as HND holder and went for one compulsory National youth service corps( NYSC) in Nigeria. The quest for moving out of my village environment in search of job to earn a living not as farmer drove me to Por Harcourt where I am today . On my arrival at port Harcourt, though I got a little job but the passion to go further beyond HND came up so tremendous again. My interactions with new friends in new environment, place of work propelled me into looking for admission in Por Harcourt. I was able to gather information that took me this time around to Rivers state University then was Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RUST). I got admission to the state university to study post Graduate diploma in Electrical Power Engineering. On my arrival, My excitement was more than any but little did I know that it was going to be a long torturous journey. The Diploma Journey that was meant to last for two years lasted for six (6) years because of incessant and unstable system of Education in our dear country then. With all these happening, the power of focus was at work in me after all I had a job and was managing my life, paying my school fees, and lending helping hands to my siblings and parents in the village. Some of my siblings took up the challenge of going my way. I eventually graduated after six (6) years and I found myself in a different world all together. With my Post graduate Diploma, the Highest Engineering Regulation body of the land, Council of Regulation of Engineering In Nigeria (COREN) registered me. At this point my mentality changed, I became an agent and instrument of change to others in my working place. As a registered Engineer, the fire to move on was rekindled again, this time around the quest to go for Masters degree was at my front burner. Yes, at my front burner and my attempt to go back to school for my Masters was successful, this time to a Federal university for Masters Degree in Electrical Power Engineering.
The tension of paying school fees and footing my bills was less as I could do that from my monthly salary earnings, but the challenge of combining academic work with my Engineering practice and other official assignment in my office was an enormous task, yet the power of focus was powering me. I finally graduated with a second class upper division(2.1). After this, there was a renewed strength and hope that I could make it to PhD. even though I was not planning to lecture. So applied and my school granted my application and gave me admission to study Electrical Power Engineering at PhD. level. I went through that within three years stipulated time and I conquered the Academic world. My passion to educated and become a notable educated person in my community, my locality and my village has come through today. the first Engineer in family, Village, Locality and community. The Son of a poor farmer is among the engineers and Doctors today. The "Power of focus". Focus leads to determination, and determination leads to success. I am married with three(3) kids, all are in universities today. I am grateful for dreams come through. Shalom !
