Temilola Blossom Arise, an 18-year-old student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has successfully passed her professional stage examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
The management of the UNILORIN announced Blossom’s feat in a recent statement on X.
The statement described the young lady, who is in her third year at the Department of Economics, as an “outstanding student”.
It added that she passed all five of her papers and is now awaiting her induction as a chartered accountant.
“Congratulations to Temilola Blossom Arise, an outstanding 300-level Economics student of the University of Ilorin! At just 18 years old, Temilola has achieved an impressive feat by passing all 5 papers of the ICAN Professional Stage,” the statement reads in part.
“She’s now awaiting her induction as a Chartered Accountant. We’re so proud of Temilola’s remarkable achievement!”
Speaking on why she registered for ICAN while at the university, Blossom said it has been her lifelong dream since she was in secondary school.
She revealed that the strike in her first year of school allowed her to register for the prestigious accounting examination.
Blossom added that her parents, who are both professors, are her biggest inspiration.
She narrated: “I registered for my ICAN exams during the 1-year strike before resuming university. I already knew since SS2 that I wanted to take my ICAN exams quickly, so I thought to study economics instead of accounting to have diversified knowledge.
“Doing the two somehow made sense at the time, and I knew I could achieve anything as long as I was doing it with God. So, I went ahead and registered, wrote my ATS 1 during the strike, and completed every other stage while in university.
“Yes, that’s my age, the same way it shocks a lot of people, it shocks me too. I was born on June 4, 2007.
“Age has never really mattered to me; experience and wisdom are what matter, and I can say that God has blessed me with a lot of wisdom and experiences beyond my years.
“To me, my age is honestly just a number, not a restriction in any way or form. As long as I’m not too fast or slow in God’s calendar, I’ll keep pushing to do big things.
“It took a lot of sweat, tears, persistence and consistency. I don’t only attend school; there are other areas of my life, such as ministry.
“I also work two jobs and run a foundation that the Lord led me to start. So, this journey, I can say, took a lot from me. I learnt to push even when I was tired, and I learned time management.
“I wasn’t found everywhere, only in necessary places, and so on. The biggest secret to the ease was trusting God with my life. I knew that as long as he was the centre, everything I do flowing from him will go well. And they did go well and continue to do so.
“My parents are both professors, but not the typical professor parents everyone expects; they do not demand too much from their children, as they believe that children should have some free will and make their own choices.
“None of them forced me to sit for ICAN. I walked up to them. I told them I wanted to do it. Still, every step along the way, in my wins and losses. They were proud of me. They supported me.
“My mother never let me work or enter the kitchen while preparing for exams, and my dad would always send me money while I was in school to keep me comfortable. They were honestly the best support system I’ve ever had. I’m glad I made them proud.” (The Cable)
