THE PROFESSOR AND THE YOUNG MAN

Professor Mokuolu and I at his office at the Centre for International Education [Unilorin]

THE PROFESSOR AND THE YOUNG MAN

A mentor is a father and a father will take you farther

That was my experience with the Prof. [Professor Olugbenga Mokuolu]

I’m grateful Prof Mokuolu agreed to allow me spend a full day with him-learning from him, being inspired by his life. Part of his schedule that day included receiving some expatriates from Sri Lanka and Kenya, meeting the VC and then to the VC’s office. While and undergraduate in this same institution these where places I never stepped but now I assessed easily without being questioned by the security because I was in company of the Prof. I am presently inspired to write a book based on my experience inspiring young people to pursue mentorship

There is so much you can achieve and a lot faster if you have someone in your life who can fast track it for you. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel, why take 10 years when you can take ten minutes.

How long will it take you to read 10,000 books? Maybe a life time and I guess that is why the Chinese use that figure when they coined their wise line – ‘a day spent with a wise man is worth ten thousand books read’. And imagine the stress and pain of reading 10,000 books. But a day with a mentor asking questions, observing, modeling and having him rub off you all that he has spent a life time to learn and achieve…. Wow it’s a great experience.

I am testament to that as I listened conversed with this wise man. I was particularly wowed by his wisdom, vastness, and large heart, how he related with his staffers, handled questions from expatriate colleagues etc, how he leveled with his little 8 year old daughter, his wife…… a lot of puzzles started to fall in place naturally without much labor or ado.

I can’t say enough. One last word that will suffice is that you go get mentored. I mean really mentored by someone you can touch in flesh and blood. Having a far off role model [cos that is what they are] is good, even great but nothing takes the place of that contact, that physical human contact, that pours virtues into you.