Alumni Spotlight: Inspiring Journeys
Exploring the Remarkable Stories of Our Eagles Made in Hebron
Folakemi Odesola
2006 B.Sc,& 2008 M.Sc Graduate of Architecture
20 Years Later, 85% of What I Had Written in My EDS Assignment Has Become My Reality
I’m a Pioneer graduate with a B.Sc and an M.Sc degree in Architecture both from Covenant University. I’m the CEO of Adeline Signature Designs, a building design company that caters to clients’ interior and exterior spatial design, landscape, furniture, and soft furnishing needs. I’m also a Personal Development Cach and the founder of Vision Board Africa. I inspire people to dream big and equip them through courses, workshops, 1-on-1 sessions and community memberships to achieve their authentic purpose-driven visions.
In my second year at Covenant University, I was given an assignment in Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS) to write about my future goals and aspirations. The task was to be submitted at the beginning of the new academic session. During the holiday break, I had the opportunity to intern at an architecture firm. One evening, after work, I focused on and completed the assignment. Surprisingly, 85% of what I had written that day has become my reality 20 years later. The assignment motivated me to visualise my future, and the document I created became a reference point for my decisions along the way. Today, I am an architect and designer and work as a personal development coach, both of which were on my list of goals from that assignment.
Dr. David O. Oyedepo, the Chancellor of Covenant University, has profoundly impacted me. Whenever he spoke, my mind opened up to wisdom beyond my years. I would write furiously, inspired by his words, love, time, and energy invested in moulding and helping us become who God intended us to be. These encounters were truly transformational, and Bishop David Oyedepo remains my biggest inspiration and mentor. He exemplifies everything I hope to achieve, and I am eternally grateful to have a living, breathing example of the transformation I want to bring to my world. This is why I want to be a life changer and solution provider to people generally, not just focus on my career as an Architect. It is why I speak the way I do; it’s why I am the way I am. I learned from the best about human development and transformation.
Covenant University has core values, distinct rules and regulations, courses like Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS), Total Man Concept (TMC), and a program called Towards Total Graduation (TTG). Everything was designed to deliver a unique vision. The guest speakers and visitors were renowned thinkers who added great value to these programs. We had well-thought-out initiatives to support the vision; this is how I’m raising my children. If I start early enough, they will be greater than I am, and it’s working already. This approach has already yielded positive results at home and in my work environment. I lead by setting clear visions and goals and creating an environment that supports those objectives. I always start with a vision.
Covenant University implemented measures to eliminate distractions and help students prioritise their studies. While studying there, I learned the importance of delayed gratification, grit, and hard work. I also learned to focus on major tasks instead of minor ones. At the time, I didn’t fully understand these concepts, but I followed them nonetheless, and they helped me develop a growth mindset. Today, I find it easy to start a project from scratch and persevere until it succeeds. This is a valuable life skill that our society does not teach today, but I am grateful to have learned it at Covenant University.
Last year, I lost my mum, and it was a difficult time for me. However, my classmates and other lifelong friends across my level and from different levels showed me so much love and support. The bond that graduates from Covenant University have is extraordinary and comes from the unique experiences we share. Even after 20-plus years, we still hold on to the values we were taught, and we support each other. This has been one of the most challenging moments in my life since leaving Covenant University. However, I am grateful for the community and network the university blessed me with, it made it easier to navigate such a difficult time. The Chancellor of Covenant University had a clear and concise vision before establishing the institution. Whenever he saw anything different from his vision, he would say, “This is not what I saw; when I see what I saw, I’ll know that I have seen what I saw”. These words deeply resonated with me and left a lasting impact. Anything not aligning my work team with where we are going must be addressed. It makes decision-making very easy. I articulate the purpose, craft clear visions, onboard the stakeholders, extract our goals from the vision and create an environment that supports those objectives for all parties. I am a purpose-driven and intentional leader.
I am proud of several things. First, my relationship with God and the fact that it means so much to me to represent His kingdom well. I am proud of the man I chose as a life partner, being a conscious parent to my children, being a valuable friend to my network, being a great boss to my design team members, being able to start and run multiple profitable impact-driven businesses from my passions, being a transformational tool and positive influence, being legacy driven and just the ability to thinking holistically about life. These are my achievements, and I’m proud of them.
Every student’s experience is different, it’s a tough environment especially for your age bracket but it is totally doable. When you get in, focus on what you are on campus for, and you will not have challenges. Use your time wisely when you’re not at the chapel service or a compulsory meeting. Make friends with wise people who do wise things and prioritise self-care. Keep a journal of your thoughts and experiences, it will come in handy in life and help you track your growth process. I kept a journal throughout my 6 years at Covenant University and it helped me become one of the most reflective and self-aware people I know.
Your journey to leadership begins at Covenant!
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