Ayomide Olubunmi graduated from the Department of Mass Communication and Media Studies, Lagos State University, in 2025. She graduated as the best in her class with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.77 on a scale of 5.00. In this interview with GRATEFUL OGUNJEBE, she speaks about her academic feat, work, and other matters.
Your academic record is exceptional (4.77/5.00 CGPA, First Class, Best Graduating Student). How did you balance such rigorous academic demands with building a personal brand, hosting over 30 events, and leading over a 30-member team?
I do not think I had one perfect system. It was more about learning how to prioritise and understanding what each season required from me. Academics was always important to me. So, I took my schoolwork seriously while also building outside the classroom. I planned around deadlines, examinations, and commitments, and I learned to prepare ahead when I knew I had several things competing for my attention. I also became very intentional about the opportunities I accepted. There were times when I had to choose between attending something and protecting time for my academics.
I think another important factor was that I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing. Hosting, building my brand, leading people, and studying communication were not completely separate things for me. They reinforced each other.
You have described a journey from selling sachet water and sleeping in people’s shops to graduating with top honours. How did those early experiences shape your work ethic and your approach to professional relationships? In what ways do they inform how you now advise or strategise for brands?
Those experiences taught me resilience, resourcefulness and gratitude. I grew up understanding that opportunities are not always guaranteed and that sometimes you have to make something work with whatever you have. They also taught me not to take people for granted. Some people showed up for me at critical moments, and I understand the difference that someone’s support can make.
Professionally, I carry that appreciation into relationships. I value people, communicate clearly, and try to be dependable. In brand strategy, my experiences also remind me that communication is ultimately about people. A brand can have a great product, but if it does not understand its audience or communicate its value clearly, the audience may never connect with it.
You founded Ayothemediagirl as a student and secured a professional role before graduation. What was the biggest lesson you learned about building a personal brand while still in school? How did you navigate the tension between being a student and being a professional?
The biggest lesson was that I did not have to wait until graduation to start becoming the person I wanted to be professionally.
Ayothemediagirl started while I was still a student, and I learned by doing. I hosted events, built relationships, created opportunities, and gradually became clearer about how I wanted to be positioned.
Being a student actually gave me room to experiment. At the same time, I understood that once I entered a professional room, I had to show up professionally regardless of my age or student status. I learned to prepare, deliver, and take responsibility for my work.
You have spoken about trusting your gut when you discovered a grading error that turned a D into an A. How has that experience influenced the way you approach strategic meetings or client pitches today? Do you find yourself challenging assumptions more boldly?
That experience taught me that questioning something is not the same as being difficult. I saw something that did not make sense to me, questioned it, and eventually discovered that there had been an error.
I carry that into professional spaces by asking questions. If something does not make sense, I want to understand why. In strategy, assumptions are particularly important because they influence decisions about audiences, messaging, and execution. I try to challenge ideas respectfully rather than challenge people personally. I can disagree with a direction while still respecting the person who proposed it. For me, the goal is not to prove that I am right; it is to arrive at a better solution.
You mentioned saying “yes” to opportunities you were not ready for, including some that were not even for you. How do you now distinguish between a worthwhile opportunity and a distraction?
I ask myself whether the opportunity aligns with where I am trying to go, whether it will help me learn or contribute meaningfully, and whether I actually have the capacity to do it well. Earlier in my journey, I said yes to many things because I was excited by possibilities. I still believe in taking chances, but I have learned that every opportunity does not deserve my attention. I am becoming more deliberate about choosing depth over simply accumulating experiences. I want the things I do to contribute to a coherent story about who I am and what I am building.
You served as vice president of your department and represented LASU at major competitions like NIPR and ARCON, placing first and third. What did those experiences teach you about teamwork, pressure, and public performance? How do you translate those skills into your current communications role?
They taught me that strong performance is usually the result of preparation and teamwork. When you represent an institution, you are not performing only for yourself. You are carrying the expectations of your team and your school. As vice president and as part of competition teams, I learned how to communicate under pressure, work with different personalities, and trust people to do their part. Public performance also taught me to stay composed when things don’t go exactly as planned.
I apply those lessons in my communications work by making expectations clear, collaborating closely with teams, and staying focused on the objective rather than getting overwhelmed by the process.
As a communications strategist and women’s advocate, how do you see your personal story influencing the way you approach brand messaging? Do you find that your authenticity and vulnerability give you an edge in connecting with audiences, and how do you balance that with professional detachment?
My story has made me very conscious of the importance of being understood. I know what it feels like to come from one place and have to communicate a completely different picture of what you are capable of. That influences how I think about brands. I am interested in the gap between what a brand believes it is communicating and what its audience actually receives.
Authenticity helps, but I do not believe authenticity means sharing everything. I am intentional about what parts of my story I bring into a professional space. Vulnerability can create connection, but strategy still requires objectivity. I have to be able to step outside my personal experience and make decisions based on the audience, the brand, and the objective.
You have credited God and “strangers” for helping you pay school fees and survive difficult times. How has that shaped your philosophy on networking, mentorship, and giving back? Are you intentional about opening doors for others now?
It has made me understand that people can become part of your story without even realising the extent of their impact. Some people, especially my uncle and aunt, helped me at moments when I genuinely needed help, and I have never forgotten that. It has made me more intentional about sharing information, connecting people where I can and creating opportunities for others.
I do not see giving someone an opportunity as losing something. I know what it feels like for someone to make room for you, and I want to become that person for someone else.
In your convocation post, you said: “For once, I do not want to rush past the moment.” In a culture that often celebrates constant hustle and the next achievement, how do you practice reflection and gratitude without losing momentum?
Graduation made me realise that if I am always focused on the next thing, I can miss the significance of what I have already accomplished. I am ambitious, and I enjoy building, but I am learning that reflection does not slow ambition down. It gives you perspective. I want to be able to look at my journey honestly, appreciate the people and experiences that brought me here, and then decide what I want the next chapter to look like.
I do not want my career to be driven only by the pressure to achieve the next thing. I want to build deliberately and become excellent at the things I choose.
Looking ahead, what is the next big challenge or ambition you are setting for yourself?
The next challenge for me is depth. I have spent the last few years exploring different parts of communication, media, technology, events and digital strategy. Now I want to become much more deliberate about where I concentrate that experience.
I want Ayothemediagirl to grow beyond being simply a name attached to my work. I want it to become a recognisable professional brand associated with communication, strategic thinking, media, and my work as an event host and moderator.
Over the next five years, I see myself becoming a stronger voice in Nigeria’s communications and media space, particularly around how brands communicate in a rapidly changing digital environment. I want to do excellent work, build things that matter and create room for other young people to grow as well.
