EO

Against All Odds

A story of grit, small jobs, and the long road to becoming an electrical engineer — with lessons and practical steps for students from every background.

Practice: English & Math Practice: Physics & Chem

This is an original, fictional story inspired by many true experiences across Nigeria — students who balance odd jobs, family duty and classroom study to change their lives. It celebrates perseverance and gives practical steps for others to follow.

Read time: ~8 minutes · Tags: perseverance, engineering, students, scholarships

“Your background doesn’t define your future — your choices, consistency and courage do.”

1. Opening — Meet Ikenna

Ikenna was twelve when his father’s shop closed for good. The market stalls that had once paid school fees and fed the family became a memory overnight. In a crowded rented room in a Lagos suburb, he learned early that education would not be handed to him — he would have to fight for it.

By sixteen he was juggling evening classes and day jobs: delivering bread, fixing neighbors’ radios, and helping an electrician on weekends for a modest fee and hands-on experience. He loved circuits — the satisfying click when a switch connected a bulb — but laptops, tuition and exam fees required money he didn’t have.

2. Struggle — Long Days, Small Gains

Ikenna’s days started early and ended late. Before sunrise he loaded trays of bread onto a bicycle and rode to the market. After school he walked two kilometers to help the local electrician on wiring jobs. He ate less and worked more, because every naira saved could pay for an exam form or a bus to a tutorial class.

He failed one year in senior secondary because he missed a mock exam after doing a midnight repair job. The failure crushed him, but it didn’t define him. He swapped shame for strategy: he negotiated with his employer for adjusted hours, joined a peer study group, and tracked tiny wins—improving his mock scores by a couple of marks each week.

3. Turning Point — A Mentor & A Scholarship

One afternoon the electrician he worked with, Madam Efe, stopped him as he was packing tools. “You have patience and care,” she said. “Those are precious.” She had a nephew studying at a polytechnic and agreed to introduce Ikenna to a small bursary committee at a community foundation.

After an interview and a demonstration of a simple lighting circuit Ikenna had built, the foundation offered a partial scholarship to pay tuition for a National Diploma (ND) in Electrical/Electronic Technology. That support didn’t fix everything, but it gave breathing room — and it came with mentorship: Madam Efe and the foundation required monthly check-ins and a plan for practical experience.

With new access to labs and tutors, Ikenna’s competence grew quickly. He learned to combine the theory from textbooks with the messy, invaluable lessons from fieldwork. His small repair jobs became micro-internships where he tried new techniques and refined skills mentors taught.

4. Becoming an Engineer — The Long Road

Ikenna completed his ND with top marks and, through a combination of savings, part-time jobs and a government scholarship, transitioned to a degree program in Electrical Engineering. The workload was heavier, but years of balancing work and study had taught him discipline. He used evenings to learn software applications and weekends to practice laboratory techniques.

After graduation, he took a junior role at a renewable-energy firm, where his practical experience made him invaluable. Within a few years he was designing small solar installations for rural clinics — the same clinics that had once relied on erratic power. The boy who fixed radios now designed systems that saved lives.

5. Lessons & Practical Guide — For Students Who Must Hustle

Lesson 1 — Small jobs can teach big skills

Working is not a weakness. Ikenna’s repair jobs taught him troubleshooting, time management and humility — skills that textbooks rarely teach. Seek micro-jobs that teach something useful to your future goals.

Lesson 2 — Mentors matter

Trusted adults — tutors, local tradespeople, community leaders — can open doors. Show up, be reliable, and ask for guidance. A mentor doesn’t have to be famous; they simply need to care and offer direction.

Lesson 3 — Plan money, not just effort

• Create a small budget: exam fees, transport, essential textbooks.
• Save purposefully: even small daily savings add up.
• Look for targeted bursaries and skills-based scholarships (technical foundations, industry-sponsored grants).

Practical checklist for students

• List 3 micro-jobs that build transferable skills for your goal.
• Identify one local mentor and ask for a short meeting.
• Start a 3-month savings plan for exam fees — track daily/wkly progress.
• Practice past papers once a week under timed conditions (use our practice pages).

Recommended next steps: Visit English & Math practice and Physics & Chemistry practice to build exam skills while you earn.

6. Resources & Opportunities

• Local foundations & NGOs — search for community bursaries and technical training grants in your state.
• Polytechnics & apprenticeships — technical diplomas often have lower fees and strong industry ties.
• Online learning — free courses (basics of electronics, circuit theory) can boost competence quickly.

If you’d like, I can prepare a short list of Nigerian bursaries and foundations that support technical students — tell me which state you want me to focus on.

7. Key Takeaway

Moral: “Your background doesn’t define your future.” Consistent small efforts, practical experience, mentorship and targeted support can transform a life. Perseverance is not only stubbornness — it’s a series of smart, repeated choices.

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