University of Uyo Lecturer Reacts as His Wife Who Had Third Class in Her BSc Bags PhD Degree
- Edidiong Ukpong (PhD), a chief architect and a lecturer at the University of Uyo, has expressed his excitement as his wife bagged a PhD degree
- Before his wife embarked on her doctoral research, the academic recounted how people wrote her off, telling her that she did not belong in academia
- The lecturer admitted that he was worried for his wife, who had a third-class in her bachelor's degree, and he explained why
A University of Uyo lecturer, Edidiong Ukpong (PhD), who is also an architect, has celebrated his wife on LinkedIn as she achieved a PhD degree in Guidance and Counselling, proving her doubters wrong.
Reflecting on the hurdles his wife overcame to become a PhD holder like him, the academic disclosed that people said she did not belong in academia.
Source: UGC
The lecturer added that he was also worried for his wife when she sought his support for her PhD pursuit, as he knew her journey.
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He further worried about how she would combine it with marriage, raising their daughter, running a business, responsibilities at home and the demands of doctoral research.
"...Because I knew her journey.
"→ Third Class in her bachelor's degree.
"→ People had already written her academic obituary.
"→ "Academics isn't for you."
"→ "Just move on." he wrote.
However, his wife was undeterred by the verdict people handed to her, and she went for what she wanted.
Wife becomes second PhD holder in family
Edidiong, in his LinkedIn post on Tuesday, June 16, shared pictures of his wife, as he congratulated her, noting that the tears on her face that day were not a result of the completion of her PhD, but because she remembered where she began from.
"Congratulations, Edoabasi Edidiong Ukpong, PhD in Guidance and Counselling."
"The tears on her face that day were not because she finished. They were because she remembered where she started.
"→ Third Class.
"→ Doubt.
"→ Rejection.
"→ "You don't belong here."
"Today, our home has become PhD². Husband PhD + Wife PhD. And perhaps the most dangerous lie universities and society tell young people is this:
"That one poor result has the authority to decide an entire lifetime. Now, with this, tell them: It doesn't..." he wrote.
Source: UGC
Netizens celebrate lecturer's wife on her PhD
Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to the lecturer's post below:
Waqar Ali said:
"Congratulations to your wife on this remarkable achievement! Her journey is proof that where you start does not determine where you will finish. Through hard work, perseverance, and support, she turned doubt into success. A truly inspiring story for anyone who has ever been told they couldn't make it."
Ola El Samrout said:
"This highlights again that a PhD is truly about resilience and persistence. To every woman balancing research alongside countless other responsibilities and still reaching the finish line, this reflects an incredible level of dedication and strength. Congratulations for your wife Edidiong Ukpong(PhD Architecture)."
Professor Saud Taj said:
"What an incredible story, Edidiong Ukpong(PhD Architecture); not just of achievement, but of rewriting a narrative that others tried to close. Her journey is proof that one grade, one opinion, or one moment in time never has the authority to define a lifetime, and her resilience is a reminder of what’s possible when belief meets perseverance."
Tayyab Fraz said:
"A compelling story of resilience—but how can universities better distinguish between early academic performance and long-term scholarly potential when admission and progression decisions are often heavily grade-dependent?"
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a woman had become a law master's graduate while her husband bagged a PhD degree in law.
Man and wife earn PhD same day
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man and his wife had bagged PhD degrees on the same day.
The man said that the achievement did not come easy as they had a delay due to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and the pandemic. He added that the journey started over five years ago.
He revealed that it was while they were running their programme that they both got married and gave birth to their son.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
