Oluwalayomi Adeyanju is a first-class graduate of chemical engineering from Covenant University. She shares her journey with Edugist and her internship experiences, including one at a multinational oil servicing company. Excerpts
Please share with Edugist, a little about yourself and your background
My name is Oluwalayomi Adeyanju. I am from Ogun state but I grew up in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. I attended Bereton Montessori Nursery and Primary School in Port-Harcourt, then Loyola Jesuit College in Abuja. I then moved on to study chemical engineering at Covenant University.
I grew up as the first child with two siblings. My dad, being an engineer, inspired me to go into engineering. It wasn’t something I originally saw myself doing, not because it was hard but simply because I had no interest in it. But knowing someone in the field made it a possible journey for me. I never had the mindset that it was going to be too difficult or above me. It just seemed natural for me to delve into a STEM career. In my SS2, I felt drawn to study chemical engineering and I haven’t regretted the decision. Since then, I didn’t know anyone in that particular field, but I knew I wanted to be part of the solution in climate change and waste management problems and chemical engineering felt like the field that would allow me to be a part of that solution.
Could you tell us about your experience studying chemical engineering? Take us through your journey in school.
In a single word, it was tough. I have to acknowledge; chemical engineering is a difficult course. It is a five-year course like other engineering courses, but what sets it apart is the tasking coursework. For example, in our third and fourth year, we had to submit handwritten reports from our weekly lab work, which were on average about 50-80 pages. Also, we had two projects to work on in our final year instead of one, as most courses have. All this was in addition to the work we had to do for other general courses as well as preparation for tests and exams.
Adding to that, I was very involved in extracurricular activities. I was part of the Decoration Unit and I happened to rise in leadership ranks through my years in school. This also meant I was involved in a lot of events happening in the school. This especially took a lot out of me and I barely had any free time. Asides from this, I had to make sure to balance other aspects of my life, such as my spiritual life and relationships, among others. Despite all this, I do not regret my time in school. It built me to handle a lot, so I’d say I built capacity and learned to manage my time well from the whole experience.
How do you think your background contributes to your problem-solving and analytical thinking skills?
A quote I have always loved says, “a leader is someone who already has a solution to a problem before others acknowledge the problem”. Being in a lot of leadership roles growing up, I had to learn to think on the job and in a trustworthy manner. Eventually, these problem solving and analytical skills grew on me. Various experiences taught me to finetune and improve these skills. Likewise, I grew up in a family where we solved puzzles together and taught complex things to each other. Thinking critically came naturally in an environment like that. I also attended very competitive schools, so I had to learn to stretch myself and build my skills in order to stand out wherever I was.
What were your biggest challenges on campus and how did you deal with them?
I’d say time management and balancing several aspects of my life. Being involved in so many things, there were times when work fell into my hands that I didn’t expect or prepare for. It was definitely not easy handling that. But I didn’t just want to do things well, I wanted to do things in the right way and having a high standard like that takes a lot more from a person. Working in teams taught me to delegate. It is a wonderful tool in leadership, I learnt while in school. Sometimes we forget we aren’t doing things alone. We should have people we can trust and rely on, people who we can fall back to when we need help.
Do you have any role models you look up to in your field?
I grew up not really having a role model, just having an image of what I wanted future-me to look like. Majorly because the field I wanted to go into wasn’t very exposed in our time or in the environment I grew up in. Most people that go into chemical engineering are looking to work in oil or energy companies, which is an amazing field, but it isn’t the field that drew me into the career in the first place.
However, the closest person I’ve had to a role model is Marie Curie. I read her story when I attended a summer school before I started secondary school and it inspired me a lot. She is the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win it twice. Being a woman in the early 1900s that made significant waves in science allowed me to believe I could hold a position like that some day in a field I would be dedicated to. At the time, I had not known what that field would be but along the way, she has remained an inspiration for me, wanting to push to the highest levels in whatever field I am in and make a name for myself the same way she made a name for herself in history.
Have you been a recipient of any scholarship? Kindly run through the application process
No, I have not. But I am not done with my academic pursuits, so I still look forward to receiving some. I would encourage anyone applying for any scholarships to go for it, even if it seems beyond you.
Could you discuss any relevant internships or research experiences you had during your academic years?
My first internship was with the Nigerian Ports Authority, after my 300 level. I worked with the engineering as well as the Safety department. I went on inspections to oil companies that had business with the port, to understand and enforce their safety standards. It really put in perspective the crucial nature of a lot of things we learnt at school. It is one thing to understand thermodynamics or material science but when you know how crucial it is when running a business or a plant, it makes you appreciate it more.
My second internship was with Schlumberger Limited, a multinational oil servicing company. It was a wonderful experience working with the engineers and clients. One thing I really appreciate about my internship there was the process we were taken through. We were first required to work in the workshops, assembling sub-assemblies that would be sent to the rig and understanding each component and equipment that passes through the workshop. Afterwards we learnt from the engineers on why these assemblies were designed the way they were. It allowed me to understand the design aspect of engineering, while appreciating the work that was being done after the design was over. Understanding each equipment made design and planning easier when we got to it. At the end of the internship, we were given a project to complete that contributed to improving the department. It was very engaging.
My research experience in my final year project was challenging in the sense that I had to learn to stand on my own. It didn’t go easy, honestly, but I appreciate the experience. My project exposed me to the field of biochemical engineering, which I feel has a good potential in solving several problems that have been ignored or looked over.
What do you believe sets you apart from other engineering graduates?
I’d say my passion. My interest first peaked in the area of the climate crisis and later on, I knew I wanted to contribute to the waste management sector. This informed my choice to pursue chemical engineering. I didn’t pick my course out of pressure or fear or random thinking. I knew why I wanted to do chemical engineering very early on and I have continued with that plan till now. I haven’t really met a lot of engineering students or graduates who entered the field having a specific reason or goal in mind. Along the way, as tough as it got, I was able to encourage myself with my goal and enjoy the journey.
In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges currently facing the engineering profession, and how would you address them?
Most people go into the profession because they were told to, or they naturally fell into the field because they were science students. Like I said earlier, you rarely see people in the field who know what they are going for or a reason why they are going for it. If there were many more passion-fueled engineering students, the field would blossom. Innovations don’t just come up because of the obligation or necessity of jobs. They come from people who hunger for a solution to a particular problem they perceived from afar and pursued to solve.
How do you stay updated with the latest industry trends?
LinkedIn is the best platform for me. It is not just a site for finding jobs or showcasing achievements. It is a platform where people speak openly about their professional interests, and connect with people of like minds and find opportunities to work together. LinkedIn has opened a lot of doors for me.
Could you describe your final-year project?
My final year project delves into the world of biochemical engineering with the purpose of decontaminating water. I was able to utilise a protein in removing heavy metals from water. It explores the possibility of solving an overlooked problem in a novel way.
What are your long-term career goals, and how do you envision your skills and knowledge evolving in the future?
My long-term career goal is to make a contribution in solving the problem of climate change and waste management. Every step I make along the way is towards this ultimate goal. I still plan on furthering my education so of course there will be a lot of growth in my skills along the way and when I do enter the workforce, that growth will be exponential.
