I refused to be ordinary — UNIBEN first-class Law graduate

Hannah Kintum, at 21, has graduated from the University of Benin with a first-class degree in Law, achieving a remarkable CGPA of 4.69. She expressed pride in her accomplishment, gratitude to her parents, school, lecturers, and dean.

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I feel proud of myself right now. I am grateful to my parents, my school, my lecturers and my dean.

Originally from Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, Kintum is the third of five children. She shared that her academic drive intensified in secondary school, transforming her from an unfocused student to the best graduating student of Our Lady of Apostles College in Yaba, Lagos. She gained admission to the University of Benin in 2021.

Kintum chose Law because she has always been vocal and wanted her voice to be heard, a path her parents anticipated. Initially, in her first year of university, she felt intimidated by classmates but achieved the highest CGPA in her class. This motivated her to maintain a first-class standing throughout her studies, earning a first-class grade every semester.

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Initially, in 100-level, my mind was not on graduating with a first class because I felt there were many intelligent people in my class. They were always asking questions while I was often lost. However, when our 100-level results came out, I had the highest CGPA in my class. From then on, I knew I wanted to maintain that first-class CGPA until graduation, and I did. Every semester I spent at the university, I earned a first-class grade.

She described her experience studying Law at the University of Benin as interesting, highlighting the faculty's efforts to provide resources, weekend library access, and dedicated lecturers. The university also encouraged participation in moot and mock competitions, which helped build advocacy skills. Kintum represented her school in several national and international competitions.

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It was interesting because my faculty and my dean tried to ensure that we had all the resources possible to learn. Our library opened on weekends, so we could study there, and our lecturers did their best to impart knowledge. My school also participated in moot and mock competitions, which helped build us in advocacy. We had internal competitions within the faculty, and I also represented my school several times in national and international competitions.

Kintum's key to maintaining her performance was her aversion to being average. "I hated being average, and that drove me to maintain a first class. I did not want to be just another student; I wanted to be different and stand out," she stated. This ambition pushed her to aim higher and perform her best, even leading her to study intensely during examination periods, often with little sleep.

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Personally, I hated being average, and that drove me to maintain a first class. I did not want to be just another student; I wanted to be different and stand out. That feeling pushed me to do better, aim higher, and do everything as best as I could. During examination periods, I hardly slept because I was focused on studying.