JAMB Setback Fails to Stop LASU Graduate From Building an Impressive Career

When a young Nigerian completed secondary school in 2020, university admission did not immediately follow.

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Instead, a failed first attempt at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination forced him to rethink his path. Years later, the same young man has graduated from Lagos State University with a Second Class Upper degree in Computer Science and a long list of achievements beyond the classroom.

Identified on X as @mayomadee7, the LASU graduate revealed that he wrote JAMB twice before eventually gaining admission to study Computer Science at the university. He graduated with a 4.37 CGPA.

His journey began with an interest in acquiring practical skills.

After finishing secondary school, he initially decided not to sit for JAMB because he did not feel ready for university. He began learning graphic design but eventually stopped because he did not have access to a laptop.

Rather than abandoning technology, he found another route.

In 2022, he began learning frontend development using his mobile phone, even though he still could not afford a laptop.

That same year, he wrote JAMB again and secured admission to LASU to study Computer Science after missing the cut-off mark in his earlier attempt.

University life subsequently became much more than a quest for a degree.

During his undergraduate years, he was appointed a Lagos State Youth Ambassador and appeared on national television on three occasions.

He also emerged Best Debater at the LASU Debate Society for the 2025/2026 session and served as Faculty Coordinator for the Faculty of Science under the LASU Directorate of Students’ Services.

His interests in technology continued alongside his studies.

He volunteered as a frontend engineer with the Digital Working Group at DevFest Lagos and mentored aspiring developers during the GDG LASU Bootcamp 2.0. He also worked as a frontend engineer across different industries and spoke at his first technology event.

His graduation became particularly emotional because of a conversation with his father.

After completing his degree, the graduate shared a message from his father congratulating him and expressing pride in his achievement despite being unable to attend the convocation physically.

The story is a reminder that academic journeys do not always follow a straight line.

For this LASU graduate, missing the JAMB cut-off the first time did not become the defining moment of his story. Neither did the absence of a laptop prevent him from beginning his journey into technology.

Instead, he adapted to the circumstances around him and eventually turned a mobile phone into his first serious tool for learning software development.

By graduation, he had earned a university degree, developed professional experience, taken on leadership roles and mentored other young people.

His experience shows that setbacks can delay a journey without necessarily determining its destination.