My education story so far

I was born and raised in Nigeria which is the most populated country of Africa. My birth
was to an average academic and financial status couple. Both parents had diplomas and worked
for the state government of Ekiti in Nigeria. Starting school was easy from pre-k to high school.
There was free education at all levels which caused nearly all my mates to be educated. As it
was usually said then, we were all school certificate holders.
Only less than 10 percent got employment with school certificate and the nature of the
job ranged from office assistants to cleaners. The status of ones parent comes to play at this
juncture. Most of the parents above average educational and financial status sent their children
to higher institution. Getting admitted to higher institutions be it for associate degree or
bachelors degree was not as easy as it is in the United States. There is a joint matriculation
examination to be taken before admission. This is to reduce the number of students contesting
for the available slots at the higher education institutions. On most instances, people ended up
going to schools to study not what they have passion for but what the schools offered to them
as alternative. I was a victim of this as well. I ended up going to study special education as
opposed to Engineering. At the bachelors level, I studied public Administration.
The next challenge was getting a job after graduation. Getting job in the country I grew
up is not dependent on your certificate but your connection as well. Many like me got a job not
directly related to our college degrees. A sine-qua-non for getting a job or sustaining the one at
hand in the late 90s in Nigeria was to become computer literate. I got my computer training
started and soon got addicted to computer. It was not until then that I knew my passion for
security and computer was unstoppable. I could not do much about this until my relocation to
the United States of America in the fall of 2007.
I saw lots of opportunities on arrival and was ready to pursue my dream. I was not sure
of the route but the destination was clear and settled in something digital. I started working
with my associate equivalent degree in special education. I got employed and trained as a
mental health associate. Then, I went back to school stating from the community college where
I earned an associate degree in network technology. I then transferred to the University of
Maryland, University College to read Digital Media and Web Technology. My graduation was in
the month of May, 2015. I finally realized how much creativity that had laid fallow in me since
birth.
I registered and started OK Imaginations; a multimedia company. Adobe Creative Suite
becomes my friend. A day will hardly pass without me having something to do on one of the
products of the suite from Lightroom to Photoshop and Premiere Pro. I am so proud of myself
and thankful to all that encouraged me to give pushing during the times of weariness.

Charles Kolawole