By Kenneth Enadeghe
Miss Grace Ogunkeyede Opemipo has only one goal in life: To live her life purposefully, passionately and productively, until all lifes’s desires attached to and encoded in her person are attained.
Opemipo is an inspiring Nigerian teen who has a great enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and skills.
One of her milestone achievements is bagging 121 Certificates of Achievement from different internationally recognized organizations in the World including, the W.H.O, HP , USIP , REUTERS , YALI , Asian Development Bank , HONOR SOCIETY, INASP, UNICEF and a number of others.
Miss Opemipo, is currently a first year student of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU. She graduated from senior secondary school at age 14. Due to financial challenges, she wasn’t able to further till she turned 18. Throughout the four years, being someone who has a great enthusiasm for knowledge and acquisiton skills, she was able to acquire 19+ Digital Skills which include 3D Modelling & Rendering , Video Animation (3D/2D/Whiteboard), Video Editing, Motion graphics, Digital Marketing, Audio editing, SEO/Google Analytics, Photo editing & Retouching , Web and Mobile App Development , Copywriting , Business Writing, Social Media Management, Programming, Web design, Sales/Closing, Facebook ads & marketing, Sales Prospecting and Lead Generation , Email Marketing , Public Speaking , CV Writing , Social Media Presence Growth , Business Marketing & Growth Strategies , Photo Restoration (Repairing and colouring old photos) Brand Identity Designing, Brand Storytelling, UI/UX designing among others.
When asked what her motivations and inspirations are, Grace had this to say:
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“The things that serve as a motivation to me are my strong desire to succeed and to achieve my goals, a love for learning and a passion for personal and professional development, the drive to be the best that I can be and to make the most of my talents and abilities! a dedication to hard work and a willingness to put in the effort to achieve my aspirations, a determination to overcome challenges; and to persevere in the face of obstacles, a belief in the value of education and the importance of continuous learning, a desire to set a good example for others and to inspire them to pursue their own goals and dreams.
In 2020, driven by strong desire to pave way for young people who are clueless and in dire need of the skills to survive in this digital era, she founded a digital skill training academy “SkillsBeyond”.
Opemipo is a member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network, USA. She is also a member of the United States Institute of Peace.
She has been privileged to engage in several fellowship programs, youth summits, symposiums, bootcamps, entrepreneurship and leadership programs , seminars , conferences. Being someone who have a great enthusiasm for knowledge, she has completed several courses, and gained lots of badges and certifications from some top international organizations: WHO , HP, USIP, REUTERS, YALI, Asian Development Bank , HONOR SOCIETY , INASP, UNICEF, Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and many others.
Opemipo is an ardent volunteer. She loves to volunteer due to her interest in giving back to the society , getting experience, making an impact and for personal development. Currently, she is a Volunteer as an Application Reader for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, USA
She is the founder of Regreen the Planet Initiative, a youth-led organization focused on environmental sustainability, climate action and also devoted to projecting the beauty of the environment and its resources.
Again Opemipo is one of the 2022 PlasticWize Fellow of U-Recycle Initiative Africa , an initiative on a mission to emphasize a sustainable recycling culture and advance environmental sustainability across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Grace Ogunkeyede has a lot to say as regards the domicile gifts and abilities of Opemipo.
In her words, she says, ‘I love to research. I am a curious person by nature and love nothing more than delving deep into a subject and discovering new information.
Research process is like a puzzle to me, and I enjoy piecing together all the different pieces of information to gain a greater understanding of something.
“I find great satisfaction in the pursuit of knowledge and am constantly seeking out new opportunities to learn and discover.The thrill of uncovering new information and making connections between different ideas is what drives me to research. Research is a way I satisfy my intellectual curiosity with, contributing to a greater understanding of a subject.
“Another thing is, I love to carry a notebook with me everytime. My notebook is my platform of imagination. Ideas don’t always show up according to our schedule. Idea emerges anytime, so if anyone is interested in consistently coming up with ideas to write about or do with, you have to be able to capture them regardless of when they show up. I feel truly blessed by God to have been blessing me with unique ideas that no one has ever tried before.
From a young age, I have always had a vivid imagination and a natural ability to think outside the box. Whether it was coming up with creative solutions to problems, dreaming up new ideas for projects, businesses or simply seeing the world in a different way, I have always felt that I had something special to offer.”
“Furthermore, I have always had a unique ability to know what others are thinking or had in mind. This talent has been with me for as long as I can remember, and I have had many moments where I have been able to fore read others and know exactly what they had in mind. I always find myself knowing what others are thinking, knowing what others intend to say or do.”
This goes a long way to show how much energy Opemipo carries in her mind.
“Also, I believe I am a true perfectionist when it comes to keeping my things organized. One of the things that sets me apart is my ability to easily know when someone touches my things. This might seem like a small or insignificant talent, but it is actually a reflection of my strong attention to detail and my well-organized approach to life.
“I take great care to arrange my things in a specific way, and I have a designated spot for everything. This level of organization allows me to have a keen sense of awareness when it comes to my belongings. If someone touches one of my things or moves it out of place, I will know. This can be very useful in many different situations, as it allows me to keep track of my belongings and to know if anything has been disturbed.
“But my love for organization goes beyond just being able to detect when someone touches my things. I find that having a well-organized environment brings a sense of order and clarity to my life, and it helps me to feel more in control and on top of things. It is an important part of who I am, and I take great pride in my ability to keep my things organized and in their designated spots.
In her words of encouragement, Opemipo attempts to advice everyone never to give up on their dreams. She says, “It may not always be easy, but with hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself and your abilities. You have the power to shape your own future. You are capable of achieving great things and remember the only way to discover your full potential is to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and never to think of impossibility.”
