By Idris Katib
Muhsin Adedamola Ashimi, a graduand of the Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta will be leading the pack of over nine hundred graduating students at the convocation class of 2026.
In an interview, the 21-year old Ashimi, who finished with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.98, revealed that “contrary to the stereotypes about private universities, Crescent University has quite high academic standards that it maintains. There is no free marks anywhere unless you work for it”.
Ashimi will be delivering his valedictory speech on behalf of all graduating students of the 2025/2026 academic session at the 18th Convocation Ceremonies in October 2026.
He revealed that making a grade point average of 5.00 in six out of eight semesters was not an easy ride, stressing that “making a first class required going a little farther, reading a little longer and writing a bit better than everyone else.
“Graduating as the overall best is not something that happens to anyone by accident. The person must have made a conscious decision to be the best and worked tirelessly to get there.”
On his touchest semesters and courses, Ashimi explained that “my toughest semesters were 100 level second semester and 400 level second semester but my most difficult semesters didn’t my results”, he assured.
He said a particular course was “always tough and rigorous” as the lecturer in charge usually demanded that students meet an expected standard on regular basis. “But surprisingly, I always got an A in his courses”, he remarked.
Reminiscing on his memories of Crescent University, the prolific writer and multiple award winner said three moments had impact on his academic career. “The first was getting my first 5.0 in 100 level first semester. The second was winning first place in a debate competition at Obafemi Awolowo University against other prestigious universities despite the fact that I was handicapped in the debate while the last one was in 300 level when my CGPA dropped.
“The first two events helped me build confidence in my abilities. The last one taught me to remain humble, to appreciate and celebrate the wins along the way because 5.0 isn’t a birthright but a privilege.”
On if he had any area of specialization in mind, Ashimi unveiled that “I am naturally a very creative person and I feel these are the areas I’d be able to fully explore my creative side and push myself far beyond my current limits.
” I also believe that in a world that is fast becoming filled with advertisemts, being able to craft a story form a promise and to continue to keep that promise is important because the more digital the world becomes, the more essential an online presence is”, he concluded.
