Victory Yinka Banjo Gets 9 A's WAEC and A's in Cambridge

I was scrolling on LinkedIn sometime in December when I stumbled on a post by Victory Yinka-Banjo, who not only aced A1 in all her WASSCE subjects but also had A*s in all her Cambridge results.

She was also declared the World’s Best Candidate in English as a Second Language (Speaking Component) by the University of Cambridge International Examination (CIE).

Yinka-Banjo also made the list of the top 5 best candidates locally and globally in other examinations, such as the UTME, IELTS, and SAT.

It was trending at the time, and I was just in awe of how she was able to achieve such a feat.

Some hours later, I sent her a message about featuring her results and achievements, and she agreed, so here we are.

1. What secondary school did you graduate from?

I attended Princeton College, Surulere, Lagos.

2. How old are you?

I turned 17 in December 2020 (last month)

3. Did you hold any positions while in school? Please mention them.

I was Senior Prefect, Head Girl, President of the Students’ Representative Council, Secretary of the Students’ Representative Council, President of the Press Club, Founder of the Coding Club, and Lead Violinist in the school orchestra. I also actively serve in my church as a lead service director since 2017, and I am currently a Technovation student ambassador.

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4. Your WAEC results were initially withheld. What went through your mind when you found out?

When I found out, I had hope that it would come out soon, but as weeks went by, I lost that zeal, and I just started to second-guess myself. I felt small and undeserving of any beneficial thing. I felt like my entire life was uncertain. I thought my entire life was uncertain. It may sound like an exaggeration, but it was truly traumatic.

5. Making 9A’s is no small feat. How were you able to pull it off?

I first committed everything to God; I remained consistent with simple schoolwork and assignments; I tackled my weaknesses with full force, and I set practical targets. Likewise, I surrounded myself with like-minded people who were my age and had also done well in WAEC and other exams in previous years, e.g, my friends Ifedoyin Oluwakemi, Chika Dueke-Eze, and Oluwademilade Sodipe.

6. Did you always feel you would make 9A’s?

No, I did not. Everyone was expecting me to, but I was not 100% sure if I could actually do it. Trust me when I say that God finds me pretty special.

7. How did your parents react when you told them your results?

OMG!! They were asleep. My sister and I went to their room with my laptop (where the results were) in disbelief. My mom literally swung her eyes wide open and screamed!! She shouted!! She hugged me on her bed for a really long time. My dad just kept saying ‘9As.’ And he stared at the results for over 15 minutes.

8. What inspires you?

Stories of people who overcome struggles, are self-made, and make the most of their situation, no matter how tough the circumstances are. My friend, Chika Dueke-Eze, is a great example. My parents are greater examples.

ALSO READ: 17-Year-Old Girl Who Graduated With The Best WAEC Result From Her School In 2019 Is Dead

9. You also aced your Cambridge, UTME, IELTS, and SAT exams at once? Were you expecting the results you got?

No, I was not. God exceeded my expectations. Those were roughly my goals, but I wasn’t sure if I would actually achieve them.

10. With the grades you made, international universities should have reached out to you for scholarship opportunities. Is there anyone you are considering at the moment?

Yes.

11. What course are you planning to study at the university?

Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or Computer Science.

12. Tell us about your other achievements

Here are some of them.

African Regional Winners (Best Team in Africa)—Technovation Girls’ Mobile App Building, 2019
Gold Award—Queens’ Commonwealth Essay Competition, 2020
World Best Candidate—Nov/Dec 2019 Cambridge IGCSE, English as a Second Language, 2020
Team Nigeria—Top 40 Finalist UNESCO COVID-19 CodeThe Curve Challenge/Hackathon, 2020
Most Influential Student Leader- King’s College London/African Leadership Centre Leadership Training, 2019
Valedictorian of the Class of 2020
1st Place, National Travel Essay Competition, 2018
1st Place, South African Airways Essay Competition, 2018
2nd Place, Association of International School Educators of Nigeria (AISEN) Public Speaking Competition, 2018
Top 10 Finalist, National Edition of Microsoft Adobe Competition by New Horizons, 2016
Honorable Mention, Trust for Sustainable Living Essay Competition, 2019
I have also won many smaller awards at my school, such as the regular Best in Math award, but there are too many to list.

13. Oh wow, your achievements are mind-blowing. What are your hobbies?

I like cooking, riding my bike, swimming, and listening to gospel music (Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Maverick City), and I also like listening to Priscilla Shirer and Steven Furtick sermons.