Despite what is termed poor performance by candidates in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, 16-year-old Apampa Oyindamola Kikiloluwa was able to achieve an aggregate score of 351 in the said examination.

A review of her performance shows that she scored 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa credits her success in the UTME to hard work, consistent practice, and, above all, the grace of God. While recognising the support of her parents, who created an environment that fosters learning in their home, she opined that “the acceptance by the authorities that some centres had suffered glitches” is a sign of God’s favour.

“In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticized and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine. Consequently, the examination body authorized a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.

“My parents made our home a really positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she said.

Her parents’ commitment to education, including enrolling her at the Teesas Learning Centre in Lekki, where she attended UTME preparation classes, further strengthened her readiness for the examination.

“The frequent mock exams at the Teesas Learning Centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she noted.

Reacting to the achievement of a 98 per cent pass rate, Osayi Izedonmwen, Chairman and Founder of Teesas Education, attributed the learning centres’ success to its hybrid approach, noting that they are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment.

Apampa, who has consistently been a high-flyer, has also represented her school in various competitions, including the Conrad Challenge, at which they made it to the final levels and earned a special mention. Her impressive Junior WAEC results, 10 A’s and one B, further highlight her scholastic excellence, securing her a place on the Honours list of Lagoon Secondary School.

Beyond academics, Apampa is a well-rounded individual who enjoys sports such as tennis and swimming. Her aspirations extend beyond personal success, as she envisions using technology to create meaningful change in the world.

With plans to pursue a career in Software Engineering or Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, she aims “to use technology to make a real, positive impact in the world.”

“Right now, we’re only tapping into a small part of what technology can do—probably less than a quarter of its true potential. I’m excited about being part of the next generation that unlocks these possibilities and uses them to improve people’s lives and the planet,” she said.

Matric is an offering on the Teesas Education App focused on improving JAMB and WAEC examination outcomes, and it gives students in exit classes access to 40+ years of past questions and 4000+ educational videos. In addition, at Teesas Learning Centres, SSCE and UTME candidates receive physical and online coaching, take mock CBT practice exams, and receive academic counselling from expert tutors. (Vanguard)