This is my lecturer, Dr. Afolabi Aroyewun.
He is a clinical psychologist with decades of experience and a member of several national boards in the field of psychology. Yet, beyond the titles and credentials, he is first and foremost a teacher who truly cares.
My first encounter with him was in 300 level, when he came to teach us Clinical Psychology. From that very first class, it was obvious that he was different. He created a space where everyone felt comfortable. There was no fear, no tension, no anxiety. His passion for psychology was contagious, and not a single student dreaded his classes. In fact, he was the one lecturer we genuinely looked forward to seeing.
Last semester, he was also the reason I started coming to school dressed corporately. He told us plainly, “Psychology is a professional field. You must appear professional to class.”
And we listened. Because why not? 😅
As the semester progressed, we were required to complete our compulsory 40 hour clinical practicum at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.
Dr. Aroyewun did not have to do what he did. But he chose to.
He insisted that as long as he was handling the course, we would not just learn theory. We would practice. We would go to a psychiatric hospital and properly fulfil our practicum requirements. He held our hands and walked us through the entire process with complete transparency.
There were three batches, and each batch spent one week in Abeokuta. This meant he stayed there for three straight weeks. When the first batch left, he remained behind to receive the second batch at the train station. When the second batch left, he stayed back again to receive my batch. By the time we arrived, the tiredness was obvious. Yet, he never complained. He simply kept going.
He was there from beginning to end.
He arranged everything. Our accommodation. Our movement. Our meals. All we had to do was arrive with our luggage, sleep, wake up, eat, and go to the hospital to learn. Every avoidable stress was removed.
Every evening after returning from the hospital, we had a town hall meeting with him. He explained that whatever the hospital staff taught us during the day was beyond his control. However, at the end of each day, we would sit together, reflect on what we observed, ask questions, and process the experience. He did this every single day, for three weeks straight.
Dr. Aroyewun is a father.
Not a single complaint was dismissed. Issues with water, food, or logistics were all listened to. He followed up, made calls, and ensured things were fixed.
I made it a point to always be among the first people to attend the evening town hall meetings. I sat close, listened attentively, and stayed until he left. I wanted him to know that I saw his labour and did not take it for granted.
Sitting that close also meant I saw how things were done. Every kobo we contributed was properly accounted for. At the end of the practicum, he did not touch the remaining money. In fact, he even added his own money to cover certain expenses. Later, he asked our course representative what we wanted to do with the balance, unaware that we had already planned to buy gifts for him.
On the day we were to return to Lagos, our bus was scheduled to make two trips. Dr. Aroyewun drove some students to the train station and went to attend to something else, only to receive a call that the bus had broken down while going to pick the second set of students.
And we were close to boarding time.
Ladies and gentlemen, my lecturer dropped everything, drove back to the lodge, immediately arranged another bus, and personally conveyed another set of students to the train station.
The atmosphere was tense because our train had arrived, but Dr. Aroyewun stayed back until the bus arrived and we boarded. He kept checking on us until we arrived safely in Lagos.
Please tell me that this is common in our clime. 🥹
In 200 level, I missed an examination, which meant an automatic carryover. In 300 level, the lecture time for that 200 level course clashed with his class. I explained to him that the lecturer insisted I must attend her class and would only excuse me for one hour out of the two.
Dr. Aroyewun simply said, “If it is only one hour that she gave you, no problem.”
He is currently teaching me Psychotherapy in 400 level, and I can say without hesitation that it is always a pleasure and an honour to be under his tutelage.
I do not know if you will ever see this, sir, but this is my way of saying thank you. It is also my way of telling the world that in a system where negative stories dominate the news, there are still good lecturers. There are still men who stand apart. Lecturers who are true to their calling. Lecturers who see students as humans, not as burdens.
Thank you for being different.
Thank you for being knowledgeable and willing to guide us.
Posterity will remember you for good.
Friends, please join me in celebrating my lecturer. 🤭🙏🥳
📷 Taken just before we left the Abeokuta train station.
