I’ve always hated school, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. Many of us just pushed through, doing the work grudgingly and waiting for it to end. Secondary school was the worst. By the time I got to Mayflower, I had all but given up. I simply went through the motions, hanging out with friends and playing five-a-side football.
As you can guess, I paid for it. I spent five years in senior secondary school instead of three because Mayflower would rather have you repeat than ruin their stellar WAEC exam records. Luckily, I started school super young, so I had time to spare. I didn’t even bother with JAMB exams, and Leke and I ended up spending the money on food, which he felt guilty about for ages 😂😂😂, sorry Leke.
Despite my lack of interest, I made friends who loved school. Tim, Leke, Chinedu, Yomi, Lola, Daniel, Ayo, and others made it look easy. Then there were the JETS club members, treated like royalty at Mayflower. They got to represent the school at competitions and received hero’s welcomes when they returned. They took advanced classes, got extra attention from teachers, and seemed to enjoy it. They all aced their exams and most if not all got into university on their first try. Looking back, their schedules were brutal—studying more than 10 hours a day, including weekends. I admired them and wished I could be like them.
It wasn’t until I got to university and studied on my own terms that I realized I didn’t hate school—I just didn’t know how to learn the way my teachers wanted me to. I still ended up dropping out, but I discovered that I love learning, just in my own way. This realization gave me a new appreciation for education and got me thinking about how to make learning more accessible for people like me.
This brings me to Michael. We weren’t super close in secondary school, but I admired him and his friends. They were the math geniuses, tackling problems that seemed impossible to me (it took me years to realize I actually love math—I was just lazy!). Michael went on to graduate with great grades, got into university, became a top salesman, went to Stanford, and co-founded a YC-backed startup which I happily invested in. You can read more about his inspiring journey here and check out his book—you’ll love it.
So why mention Michael? In a time when education is often deprioritized and everyone wants to be an entertainment star, Michael is making education cool again. For the past three years, he’s been running The Adewale Students' Conference. I support it every chance I get because it shows kids that you can be an academic star too. I desperately hope it grows beyond Ogun State, reaching secondary schools nationwide and universities, sparking the interest needed for STEM research that truly advances society.
If you're inspired to donate or help in any way, buzz Micheal, he's too passionate about this to not respond.
As you can guess, I paid for it. I spent five years in senior secondary school instead of three because Mayflower would rather have you repeat than ruin their stellar WAEC exam records. Luckily, I started school super young, so I had time to spare. I didn’t even bother with JAMB exams, and Leke and I ended up spending the money on food, which he felt guilty about for ages 😂😂😂, sorry Leke.
Despite my lack of interest, I made friends who loved school. Tim, Leke, Chinedu, Yomi, Lola, Daniel, Ayo, and others made it look easy. Then there were the JETS club members, treated like royalty at Mayflower. They got to represent the school at competitions and received hero’s welcomes when they returned. They took advanced classes, got extra attention from teachers, and seemed to enjoy it. They all aced their exams and most if not all got into university on their first try. Looking back, their schedules were brutal—studying more than 10 hours a day, including weekends. I admired them and wished I could be like them.
It wasn’t until I got to university and studied on my own terms that I realized I didn’t hate school—I just didn’t know how to learn the way my teachers wanted me to. I still ended up dropping out, but I discovered that I love learning, just in my own way. This realization gave me a new appreciation for education and got me thinking about how to make learning more accessible for people like me.
This brings me to Michael. We weren’t super close in secondary school, but I admired him and his friends. They were the math geniuses, tackling problems that seemed impossible to me (it took me years to realize I actually love math—I was just lazy!). Michael went on to graduate with great grades, got into university, became a top salesman, went to Stanford, and co-founded a YC-backed startup which I happily invested in. You can read more about his inspiring journey here and check out his book—you’ll love it.
So why mention Michael? In a time when education is often deprioritized and everyone wants to be an entertainment star, Michael is making education cool again. For the past three years, he’s been running The Adewale Students' Conference. I support it every chance I get because it shows kids that you can be an academic star too. I desperately hope it grows beyond Ogun State, reaching secondary schools nationwide and universities, sparking the interest needed for STEM research that truly advances society.
If you're inspired to donate or help in any way, buzz Micheal, he's too passionate about this to not respond.