In a world that often crowns only the quickest to rise, this is the story of a boy who climbed from the shadows — not with applause, but with unshakable resolve.
A child once labeled “last but one”, Daniel Olusade now stands as a beacon of resilience, pioneering leadership, and unrelenting purpose — a 300-level medical student at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), and the trailblazing first President of the FUTA Medical Students’ Association (FUTAMSA).
But long before the titles and triumphs, there was a boy who dared to dream — when no one else believed he should.
The Boy Who Refused to Be Forgotten
In primary and early secondary school, Daniel wasn’t just underperforming — he was invisible. Teachers ignored him, classmates mocked him, and even his loving father doubted him. His academic record was consistent — consistently low.
The only reason he became class captain was not because he earned it, but because his father and teacher hoped it might “settle him down.” But deep inside, Daniel was unsettled — not by shame, but by the stirring of a dream.
A dream sparked by medical TV shows and fueled by Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson. A dream he had the audacity to say out loud:
“I want to be a surgeon.”
They laughed. “Surgery?” his teacher sneered, “So you can forget scissors in a patient’s belly?”
Even his father begged him to be more “realistic.”
Daniel wept — and then he went to war.
Not with the world, but with his own limits.
One term. That’s all it took. From last but one to third in class. And that changed everything. He kept rising — and never looked back.
The Mountain Called JAMB — and the Man Who Climbed It Four Times
Most people give up after one setback. Daniel faced four.
Each year, he came back stronger:
2017 – 220 (Rejected by DELSU and OAU Pre-Degree)
2018 – 277 (Admitted to OAU, but to a course he didn’t want)
2019 – 300 (Missed Medicine cutoff by 0.2 marks. Rejected offer for Physical Education)
2020 – 328
Physics: 99
Chemistry: 89
Biology: 89
English: 51
OAU? Missed again — by 0.05 marks.
But when doors closed, Daniel built his own. He applied to FUTA.
Post-UTME score? 96%. Final aggregate? 89%.
This time, he got in.
Four years. Four exams. Four heartbreaks. But Daniel failed forward — until destiny couldn’t ignore him anymore.
A Leader Forged in Fire
Getting into medical school wasn’t the dream — it was the starting line.
Daniel became the Pioneer President of FUTAMSA, shaping history where none existed.
He rose to become National Director of SCORP under NiMSA, Nigeria’s umbrella body for all medical students.
Today, he serves as Chief of Staff to the National President of NiMSA — one of the most strategic student offices in Nigerian medicine.
But medicine is not his only realm of influence.
He became:
First-ever Student Ambassador of JOMAV Homes and Properties, a major real estate firm.
One of 30,000 chosen as a UN Millennium Fellow, representing 140 countries and 2,400 campuses.
Selected into the FABONG Mentorship Program, joining just 12 elite medical leaders across Nigeria.
Not Just a Comeback — But a Calling
Daniel Olusade is no longer the forgotten child at the back of the class.
He is now the one pulling others forward — proof that purpose always finds a way.
His story is not one of talent, but of tenacity.
Not one of genius, but of grace.
Not one of a perfect start — but an unstoppable spirit.
To every young person who’s ever been mocked, underestimated, or counted out, Daniel’s life says this loud and clear:
“You don’t need to be the best to begin. You just need to begin — and refuse to stop until purpose makes room for you.”
From last but one to leading the next generation of Nigerian doctors, Daniel Olusade is living proof:
It’s not how you start. It’s how fiercely you decide to rise.
