Meet 19-year-old Mimi Swem, Nile University's Trailblazing Multipotentialite

In a world that often nudges individuals down a singular career path, Mimi Swem, an energetic 19-year-old student at Nile University of Nigeria, is charting her own course by embracing her identity as a Multipotentialite (a person with many interests and creative pursuits).

Currently in her third year of a Software Engineering degree, Mimi combines her academic and tech pursuits with burgeoning careers in entertainment (as an actor/movie producer) and fashion (as a fashion designer). Like many young individuals juggling multiple pursuits, she occasionally faces subtle external pressures to focus exclusively on one of her passions (usually her academic/tech journey). “I get that [people indirectly telling her to outrightly choose or favor one career path over others] a lot,” Mimi said.

However, the slender-bodied 19-year-old, who radiates confidence that belies her age, consistently refuses to choose. Not just because she doesn’t want to, but because she can’t – her nature as a Multipotentialite makes it difficult for her to do so. To choose one path, for her, would be to confine herself to a box. For individuals like Mimi, this presents a far worse fate than the periodic physical and mental exhaustion that comes from juggling their multiple interests.

This point was illustrated by Mimi’s casual response to a question about whether simultaneously pursuing careers in three different fields – tech, entertainment, and fashion – was too demanding: “Some of us are just built differently.” She wasn’t bluffing. Against all odds, Mimi has managed to excel in all three endeavors, achieving remarkable results along the way.

As a movie producer/actor/writer, Mimi already has a short YouTube series – Friendmily Ever After – to her name. This series was made by her film production company, Mimi Sensations Production. Mimi also worked with the Multichoice team on the production of Big Brother Naija All Stars (Africa’s Biggest Reality TV Show) in 2023, during her internship with the entertainment giant.

Like entertainment, 2023 was also a big year for Mimi in her tech journey. She was made the AWS (Amazon Web Services) Cloud Club Captain for Nigeria, warding off stiff competition from several young, talented techies nationwide to claim the prestigious international position. Mimi has also recorded big wins recently as a fashion designer, ranging from the establishment of her clothing brand, Mimi Sensations Apparel – which seeks to redefine fashion, making it comfortable and chic – to the acquisition of high-profile clients, including Nile University.

Mimi attributes the bulk of her successes in her bold and unusual journey to Nile University, crediting the institution for nurturing her individuality as opposed to stifling her passions. "One major thing I love about Nile University is the fact that I’ve been able to pursue all my passions at once… [Nile University] made me understand that I am not too young or too old for anything. As long as I can conceive it, I can execute it,” she stated.

Beyond providing her with a supportive and enabling environment, Mimi praised Nile University for exposing her to valuable opportunities crucial to her growth in her diverse careers, specifically entertainment and tech. She said:

"Through Nile University, I was able to know about the AWS [Amazon Web Services] Cloud Captain opportunity. I remember the first time I came across it, I did not apply for it. [The possibility of] becoming the Cloud Captain for the whole of Nigeria was a big thing in my head and I just thought that there'd be too many people that would be more qualified for it.

"It was a week before the application deadline, when Dr. Umar Ibrahim [Software Engineering Lecturer and Club Advisor, Google Developers' Student Club] sent the application to my DM convincing me to apply, that I finally applied.

“I finally got the AWS Club Captain position and it's been a very big blessing because I get to work with them [AWS] directly. If I ever want to work with Amazon in the future, it's going to be a no-brainer because I've already worked with these people and served in a capacity dear to them. So that's been a very big thing for my tech journey.

"Coming to entertainment, I have a production company [Mimi Sensations Production] and I believe I was able to take my production company [and skills] to the next level through Nile University. I was able to be part of top productions like the Big Brother Naija production [as one of four students from Nile University who interned at Multichoice during the production of the blockbuster BBNaija All Stars program -- thanks to the university's partnership with Multichoice/M-SAT Nigeria Limited]. This is something I would not have been able to do if I was not a Nile student."

In a world that often encourages specialization, Mimi Swem is a refreshing reminder that diversity in pursuits is possible and should be celebrated. Thanks to Nile University's progressive approach, Mimi is not just a student; she's a multipotentialite crafting her own narrative and leaving an indelible mark on the university landscape.

About Nile University of Nigeria

Nile University of Nigeria is a private multidisciplinary university established in 2009 and located in Abuja, Nigeria. Nile University is committed to building future generations of professionals and leaders that can thrive and positively impact Africa and beyond by leveraging academic innovation, state-of-the-art facilities, and great talent. The University currently has over 40 undergraduate programmes and more than 50 postgraduate programmes spread across eight best-in-class faculties: Health Sciences, Law, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Arts & Social Sciences, Management Sciences, Computing Studies, and Science. Nile University is a proud member of Honoris United Universities, the first and largest pan-African private higher education network with 16 institutions in10 African countries.

For Media Information

Ekezimero Eto

Marketing Communications Manager, Nile University of Nigeria

eto.ekezimero@nileuniversity.edu.ng

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Source: Legit.ng