Sowemimo Opeyemi Mayowa qualified as an Associate of Accounting Technician in December 2016 and as a Chartered Accountant at the age of 18 years. The first-born of her family relishes her experience in this interview. Excerpts;
What Informed your Choice of Accounting as a Course?
It has been my passion. I love studying and teaching accounting.
Do you Believe one has to be Good in Mathematics in order to Succeed in the Study of Accountancy?
We have different opinions on that but I think there’s more to accounting than what people think. They may think it is just about the writing aspect but there are mathematics in accounting. You have to be mathematically versed before you can venture into accounting.
When did you Begin to Pursue these Professional Programmes?
When I finished secondary school and was pushing admission, I started the foundation level of ICAN called the ATWA. I started from ATS 1 and while I was preparing for ATS 2 was when I got admission into MAPOLY.
Did MAPOLY Contribute to your Study of these Programmes?
Yes, there are contributions because what we do at our ND level are related to the foundation level of ICAN at ATS 1 and ATS 2 and I gained more knowledge by gaining admission and receiving lectures in MAPOLY. I did Economics and Accounting at ATS 1 which we did here in ND 1 and also Communication Skills and for ATS 2, I did Statistics and Public Sector Accounting which we did at ND 2. They were related. All those things helped me so much that it would have been nearly impossible for me to achieve this without those lectures.
How were you able to combine academics with your professional programmes?
It was not easy but I had to cope. I always had a conflict of interests on whether to come to school or go for my professional lectures. We always have our priorities and we also know what should come first. It was not as easy for me but all thanks to God. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to prioritise. Also, determination and discipline also helped me. There were times I had lectures here in MAPOLY and my ICAN examinations was close, I stayed at home to read for the exams and thereby missed out of lectures at that period. And there were times I had to leave ICAN for school also. I priotised what I wanted from the many that I had at hand. All of those times, I didn’t attend any social gathering though I was an honourary member of the Excel Assembly Foundation. In fact, I was not committed to it.
What were your challenges at that time and how were you able to surmount them?
The exams affected my grades here on Campus. My expectation was to finish with distinction but when I started moving close to it, it was late. I had 3.36 in my first semester ND 1 but it was not enough because I knew what I wanted. I had 3.85 in the first semester of my second year but cumulatively, it only moved towards distinction but not distinction in the end.
What are your aspirations?
I looked up to great prospects. I have loved to become a renowned Chartered Accountant ever since I was young. Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant does not make you renowned but I am planning to become a versatile one that deals with accuracy and integrity. I love to become a point of reference to generations and I love to be a motivational speaker.
Who are your role models?
Pastor Joseph Aborewa, the Accountant-General of Ogun State, Mr. Dosunmu and the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as well as one or two of my lecturers.
What is your advice to students on what they should do to improve on their academics?
They should have priorities. My opinion can be different from someone else’s but when you know what you aspire to become, you will know what you want to work towards. I also believe in the fact that you should expect the unexpected and if possible, become the unexpected. What you do not sacrifice for, will later be your sacrifice. As students, you must know what you want and you must set your priorities right. You shouldn’t do things because you want people to feel you, you should rather do things based on personal benefits and how they benefit your future. You should be futuristic. When I was missing classes, some of my mates thought I was unserious, I didn’t look at them because I knew what I wanted and I knew what to do to get them.
How was the feeling when you passed these examinations?
I was happy because at the end of it all, it was worth it and I have some dignity with my name. I felt I have set a good path for my siblings to emulate being the first born of four and knowing how impressed my parents were, I felt fulfilled. I felt it was a reward for my grades that dropped in school. It was more like a compensation. It filled the gap left by my average grades.
What are your advice to the lecturers and the management of MAPOLY?
I urge them to be considerate with the 70 per cent attendance required of each student. Sometimes, the fact that you aren’t in school for classes does not mean you are unserious. It is a fact they must understand. 70 per cent attendance makes students committed but the management should be considerate.
Pic: Opeyemi Sowemimo
