In our previous conversation, Joy Ahiakwo shared with us her remarkable journey as the overall best graduating student from Caleb University.
In this second part of our interview, Joy opens up about her future plans, her views on education, and the advice she would give to students who aspire to follow in her footsteps.
With her impressive academic record and evident enthusiasm for learning, Joy’s perspectives are sure to inspire and motivate anyone looking to achieve their academic goals. Let’s hear more from this exceptional young scholar.
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So, Miss Joy, based on your present achievement, was there any motivation behind it? Was there something that made you say, “No, I have to achieve this”?
I’d say my biggest motivation, honestly, is knowing my potential and what God’s word says about me—both in the Bible and in prayer. I don’t have a specific person I look up to. So, it’s really just about wanting to achieve the version of myself that God has spoken over me.
If someone says, “Oh, this or that is happening,” I’m like, “Okay, how do I get it done? What do I need to put in place?” That’s really been my biggest drive.
Also, having a great support system helped me a lot. I remember when I got my first B—I was in tears over that grade. I had maintained a 5.00 CGPA, and then this course just comes along and gives me a B. I told my dad and my mom, and they were like, “Don’t worry about it.” Even my pastor and my boyfriend at the time were so supportive. My friends in Christ, friends from school—they just reminded me that regardless of what happens, they had my back.
You can never underestimate the power of a good support group. Even in moments when I felt down—not just academically but in life—people would check in, say, “Don’t worry,” or go out of their way to make me feel better. That honestly was a huge driving force for me.
Sometimes I’d think, “This person has done so much for me, I don’t want to let them down.” But more than anything, I wanted to prove to myself that I could be the person God says I am. So my biggest motivation was a mix of personal drive and strong support.
Okay, so what are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?
If I’m being honest, when I was leaving school, I had a full idea of what I wanted. I wanted to go into consulting. I took a sustainability course in my 200 level and didn’t realize how much human activity has negatively impacted the planet. Sustainability is a growing field, and it really caught my interest.
I started thinking, “How do I mix my love for sustainability with chemistry?” During my SIWES, I interned at a pharmaceutical company. I saw firsthand how sustainability was applied—how water was treated, how waste was managed. It opened my eyes to the possibility of consulting with companies to help improve their policies and reduce their environmental impact.
As much as I enjoyed my SIWES, I also realized I didn’t want to be doing the same thing every day. I love chemistry, but I want to work across different fields—makeup, skincare, paint, clothing. Manufacturing can feel limiting because, in places like Unilever, they often use batch production. So you might work on the same product for six months—and that can get monotonous.
But recently, some companies reached out to me that weren’t science-related. One person in finance said he was an engineer but is now in finance. That made me realize that maybe I can explore other opportunities, too. Right now, I’m working as a social media manager for a fashion company. So I’m open to trying new things. But long-term, chemistry and sustainability remain my passion.
How do you plan to contribute to the field of industrial chemistry?
For me, sustainability is everything. In 300 level, I worked on a project where we studied the value chain of Zara, a clothing company. We looked at everything—from how they farm cotton to how they dispose of waste. We found out that cotton farming uses a lot of water and contributes to environmental damage.
So we proposed ways to improve that—like reducing overproduction and rethinking waste disposal. This kind of work helps reduce the negative impact of manufacturing on the environment.
And that’s just clothing. If you look at food, cosmetics, detergents—there’s so much research to be done. In my 400 level, I wrote a paper on makeup and was stunned by how much waste is generated.
A lot of companies are starting to be more eco-conscious—some give discounts when customers return used packaging. That’s recycling and reuse in action. Some companies now offer refillable makeup products instead of full replacements. Even bar soap companies are removing outer packaging to reduce waste.
All these ideas started with someone saying, “There’s a problem. How can we solve it?” That’s the beauty of chemistry—using your mind to create solutions. I could talk about this for hours! I’ve written papers on water treatment, too. I just want to help reduce waste and energy use. That’s where I see myself contributing most.
Let’s talk about your personal qualities. How do you handle stress and pressure, especially with your business?
Honestly, I don’t think I do well under pressure. I tend to break down. That’s why I always try to stay on top of things so that I’m not panicking close to a deadline. I get angry, I cry—so I try to avoid that by planning ahead.
But no matter how well you plan, you’ll still face pressure. One thing I’ve been learning is not to transfer anger from one situation to another. If I’m upset about something, I’m trying not to take it out on someone else. It’s a work in progress, but I’m learning.
Also, when I feel overwhelmed, I stop. For my small business—I make beaded products and sew—I take a break if I’m stuck on a design. I step away, breathe, and return later with a fresh perspective. Sometimes you just need that space to think clearly.
So that helps me manage stress. And luckily, I’ve never had anyone pressuring me with deadlines. But once I enter the corporate world, I know things might be different. One thing I’ll take with me is staying ahead of tasks.
That’s great. Can you tell us about a time when you overcame a difficult challenge?
The first thing that comes to mind is dealing with coursemates. As a Direct Entry student, I joined in 200 level, so I didn’t start with them in 100 level. They had already formed friendships, and I was trying to fit in.
I remember once I submitted an assignment, and the course rep laughed at my work and said it was nonsense. I didn’t even know her—it was a horrible first impression. I felt so left out, especially since most of them lived in the same hostel and I was always by myself.
My closest friends weren’t in my department, so adjusting was hard. My pastor once spoke to me about “social capital”—the idea of bringing yourself down to others’ level to relate better. At first, I didn’t understand it, but eventually, I got it.
By 400 level, I finally felt comfortable. I could laugh, walk with them, and eat lunch together. I was no longer the “snobbish” girl people thought I was. And I was so happy. In a small department, everyone knows everything, so that sense of connection really mattered to me.
I understand how human relationships can be tricky. So, how do you prioritize your goals and tasks?
While I was in school, I knew my parents were paying school fees for just one person—me. And this life is personal. If you wait for someone to push you, you’re only hurting yourself.
That kept me focused. I tried not to be pressured by others or follow trends. I stayed grounded in God. My values come from His word, and I don’t let people’s opinions sway me.
So how I prioritize is by focusing on what’s important to me. During school, that was my books and my relationship with God. My friends knew that I had a reading schedule. They could come gist with me, but I’d always go back to my books. That discipline helped me.
That’s great. So finally, what personal qualities do you think contributed to your academic success?
I would say maybe discipline. I feel like I have this way of sticking to a certain practice. When I was in school, I had a completely strict schedule—wake up at a certain time, get ready at a certain time, go to class at a certain time. That really helped me.
So, like I said, I did read. My reading time was from 7 to 10, so every other time after that, I was doing something else. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was chatting with my friends. I was very strict with my schedule. I didn’t really give much room for unexpected things—up until 300 level, when we implemented a “friendship brunch.” We had a specific time for that, and after that, everyone just went on to do their own thing.
I was very structured with my time. Nobody could just text me and be like, “Oh Joy, I want to see you outside”—just no. If you wanted to see me outside, you had to follow the time I was already going out—not because you said I should. So I would say that discipline really, really helped. Honestly, just discipline.
Another thing that contributed was knowing when to read, when to sleep, and when to play. Those were my biggest contributors.
Ms. Joy, what’s advice would you give incoming students—generally or those coming into Caleb University? Let’s learn from the overall best student.
One thing I would say is to embrace the journey. Your undergraduate journey is going to go by so quickly. As much as you can, try to enjoy every process. If you want to be involved in extracurriculars or try new things—just do it. Not everyone gets to repeat their undergraduate journey.
And I would say, don’t limit yourself. There are people who have reached out to me and said, “Oh, I want to make a First Class, but this is my problem, that is my problem.” And I tell them, the biggest limiting factor to anything, really, is you—not what happens around you. When you put your mind to something, you’ll come up with ways to get it done.
If a guy wants to get a girl and she’s playing hard to get, he’ll do everything possible to win her over. It’s the same way—once you put your mind to something, don’t limit yourself. The world is literally your oyster.
When I first started at Caleb, I didn’t really think I’d graduate as the best student. But as things progressed, it started to seem achievable. I just kept doing what needed to be done. So keep your mind open to possibilities and don’t limit yourself.
Also, Nigerian universities give you such a window—70–100 is an A. That’s so generous. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, some of my courses had 90–100 as an A—and I still made A’s.
If you’re trying to get a First Class and you’re not getting it, then there’s something you’re not doing. Getting a First Class is quite achievable. That’s a whole 30-mark leeway. Once you put in the work, you’ll realize that things people call “difficult” will become easy for you.
So my biggest takeaway is: enjoy the experience, don’t limit yourself, and honestly, put in the work. Nothing good in life comes easy—you have to put in the work to see results.
Ok, put in the work. Thank you for that. So, Ms. Joy, another question for you—how do you think your achievement can inspire others?
I would say maybe just the fact that you are your biggest limitation. Once you set your mind to something, you can achieve it.
When I achieved this, people were surprised. They’d say things like, “She doesn’t look like the type of person…” People have weird expectations of what success should look like.
But if you set your mind to something, you can do it. People who know me personally know I’m a social butterfly, fashion-inclined, playful—I don’t really look like the “serious student” type.
But a human being can be good at every single thing they set their mind to. Whatever ideas you have about me—as great as those are—I’m still a believer in Christ, I’m still a smart person.
You can be whoever you want to be. Don’t limit or box yourself. I say this all the time: a good believer is an all-rounder. You are your biggest limitation.
When people said, “Oh, she doesn’t look like it,” I thought—is there a certain way someone is supposed to look to achieve something?
When I posted that I was the best graduating student, the shock on people’s faces—I thought it was weird. Do I come off as “not smart”? I don’t know, it was just strange.
Don’t listen to what people say. Push yourself as hard as you can and honestly, see yourself do things you didn’t think were possible from the start.
Be yourself. When I shared my journey on LinkedIn, people commented “beauty with brains.” I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but I took it as one. Still, some people might find it shocking.
So yeah—don’t let anyone else tell you who you can or can’t be.
So can you tell us about any role model or mentor who inspired your journey?
I like to think of myself as a fashion person, so there are people whose fashion I admire. But I don’t know their personal lives, so I can’t really say they inspire me in that way.
When you talk about true inspiration, I’ll say Jesus. I know that sounds corny, but yeah—Jesus is my inspiration.
Because as good as someone’s life might look online, if you’re not close to them, you don’t really know the specifics of what’s going on.
So I can’t really say I look up to any specific person for inspiration. I love my parents, I love what they both do, but again—you never really know a person.
So for me, my role model is honestly Jesus. I’ll stick with that answer.
What message would you like to convey to your peers, your friends, your family, and the wider community?
For you guys, I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about my journey. With all the interviews I’ve had, it’s always a different experience each time.
I’m honestly just grateful that you considered me.
To my friends, family, and everyone else who knows me personally, I would honestly like to say thank you so much—for everything you’ve done, your support, your love—literally everything.
And to people just seeing me for the first time, I would say: don’t limit yourself. Your biggest motivation in life is you.
Once you’re able to deal with situations that need to be dealt with, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. So yeah—don’t limit yourself. That’s my main takeaway.