Crescent University 2026 Valedictorian: ‘There Are No Free Marks, You Have to Work for Them’

Muhsin Adedamola Ashimi, a graduand of the Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta, will lead more than 900 graduating students at the institution’s 2026 convocation.

The 21-year-old Ashimi, who finished with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.98, made the disclosure in an interview with the Principal Assistant Registrar in charge of Public Relations, Idris Katib.

Speaking about his academic experience at Crescent University, Ashimi said the institution maintains high academic standards despite stereotypes surrounding private universities.

“Contrary to the stereotypes about private universities, Crescent University has quite high academic standards that it maintains. There are no free marks anywhere unless you work for it,” he said.

Ashimi is scheduled to deliver the valedictory speech on behalf of all graduating students of the 2025/2026 academic session at the 18th Convocation Ceremonies in October 2026.

Reflecting on his academic performance, he revealed that achieving a grade point average of 5.00 in six of his eight semesters was not easy.

“Making a first class required going a little farther, reading a little longer and writing a bit better than everyone else,” he said.

According to him, graduating as the overall best student requires a deliberate decision and sustained effort.

“Graduating as the overall best is not something that happens to anyone by accident. The person must have made a conscious decision to be the best and worked tirelessly to get there.”

Speaking about his most challenging semesters and courses, Ashimi identified his second semester in 100 level and second semester in 400 level as the toughest periods of his undergraduate programme.

“My toughest semesters were 100 level second semester and 400 level second semester but my most difficult semesters didn't affect my results,” he said.

He also recalled a particular course that he described as “always tough and rigorous” because the lecturer in charge consistently required students to meet an expected standard.

“But surprisingly, I always got an A in his courses,” he remarked.

Looking back on his time at Crescent University, the prolific writer and multiple award winner identified three experiences that had a significant impact on his academic journey.

“The first was getting my first 5.0 in 100 level first semester. The second was winning first place in a debate competition at Obafemi Awolowo University against other prestigious universities despite the fact that I was handicapped in the debate while the last one was in 300 level when my CGPA dropped.”

He explained that the first two experiences helped build his confidence, while the decline in his CGPA taught him humility and appreciation for his achievements.

“The first two events helped me build confidence in my abilities. The last one taught me to remain humble, to appreciate and celebrate the wins along the way because 5.0 isn't a birthright but a privilege.”

On his future area of specialisation, Ashimi said he is naturally creative and wants to explore areas that would allow him to develop that aspect of himself while pushing beyond his current limits.

“I am naturally a very creative person and I feel these are the areas I'd be able to fully explore my creative side and push myself far beyond my current limits.”

He added that the growing importance of digital platforms and online presence has increased the need for effective storytelling and advertising.

“I also believe that in a world that is fast becoming filled with advertisements, being able to craft a story from a promise and to continue to keep that promise is important because the more digital the world becomes, the more essential an online presence is,” he concluded.