First Class, Chartered Accountant at 18: The Full Story of Arise Blossom

The family behind the journey

Before we talk about your achievements, who is Blossom, and where does your story begin?

My name is Blossom. I'm from Ondo State. My mum is from Akure, and my dad is from Akoko.

I'm a first-class Economics graduate, and I'm also a chartered accountant. I finished all my accounting exams at 18. I interned at KPMG and Credit Direct, led Zoe Foundation, and built and led Wildfire Movement while I was in school.

I'm also a pastor. Beyond all of that, I'm a very funny person. I'm just a fun person who likes to enjoy life.

The list of achievements is impressive, but Blossom is clear that she is more than her academic record.

Both your parents are professors. What was growing up in that kind of home like?

My parents did their best for us. We went to good schools, and we always had lesson teachers from primary school to secondary school.

But there was never pressure of 'this is what you must study' or 'this is what you must do.' My parents allowed us to express ourselves.

My elder brother studied computer engineering, but he's also an artist and takes his art seriously. My parents allowed us to explore other parts of our lives while still encouraging us to do our best academically.

Her parents provided educational support without insisting that all their children follow the same path.

Did the freedom your parents gave you ever become pressure of its own?

True. I think that's correct, actually. The pressure for me was coming from the fact that these people allowed me to do other things.

I was running a community, running a foundation, running a mission. I cannot become a pastor and be failing in school. My parents are professors working in this same school, and I have their reputation to keep.

They weren't saying I must do all these things, but I wanted them to know they hadn't made a mistake by allowing me. I wanted to show that I could handle the responsibilities I had taken on.

How did your family handle differences in achievement between you and your siblings?

We all have our personal ambitions in this house, and everybody is just focused on what they want to do while supporting one another.

There's no bad energy in my house at all. There's no way anybody feels like one person is doing better than another. There's no pressure. I think my parents also play a large role in that.

For Blossom, family support means having room to pursue different ambitions without turning life into a competition.

The girl who started early

What were you like as a child?

I was one of those children who are old in a child's body. At age six or seven, I was already trying to be a mommy, taking care of my younger sibling and wanting to cook for her.

Everybody liked cartoons. You know what I liked? Yoruba mommy-and-daddy movies. I would watch them so that I could learn how to be a mommy.

I didn't like toys. I loved acting mommy and daddy and taking care of children. But now I'm even more playful than I was when I was a child.

Her childhood interests were different from those of many children around her, and she still sees herself as someone with a playful side.

You gained admission at 14 and entered university at 15. What was that transition like?

I got admission at 14. I entered at 15 because there was a strike, so I graduated later than I should have.

I graduated with my elder brother. We convocated together, and he was 21.

Starting university so young shaped her experience, but she would later learn that being young could bring both opportunities and challenges.

Did your early achievements create competition or pressure within your family?

I don't think so. My elder brother doesn't really care, and my younger sister doesn't really care. We all have our personal ambitions, and everybody is focused on what they want to do while supporting one another.

There's no pressure. I think my parents also play a large role in that. They don't pressure us.

How did you begin your ICAN journey while you were still in secondary school?

I started my ICAN when I was in SS3. In SS2, I had written my external exams and done well, so SS3 just felt like, what's even the point? Let me find something else to do.

I found out about ICAN and saw that I could do a professional exam. Since I was already doing ICAN, I thought it was better to study Economics instead of Accounting so that I wouldn't have the same courses twice or the same cost.

She began pursuing a professional qualification before entering university, setting herself on a demanding path early.

The failure behind the success

Your plan was to become a chartered accountant at 17. What happened?

Out of my five stages, I only failed one stage, and when I retook it, I passed.

My initial plan was to be chartered at 17, not 18, but that one failure slowed me down. In ICAN, if you fail a paper, it's like an extra six months added to your ICAN journey.

Even by the time I wrote my final exams, I was actually still 17. It was when the results came out that I had clocked 18. So that's how my plan failed. But it was all good.

What did failing ICAN feel like at the time?

It was my first academic failure in the whole of university. I was like, 'God, this cannot be my result.' I checked my result on five other people's phones. I was like, 'No, there has to be a mix-up somewhere.'

I cried every single day. I said, 'Oh my God, I'm not smart. I don't know books. How did this happen? What did I do wrong?'

My second-semester results came out, and they were the opposite of what I had in the first semester. My CGPA dropped a lot. At that period of my life, I was like, what am I supposed to start from?

The failure affected more than her professional timeline. It challenged the way she saw herself as a student.

How did you find the strength to try again?

After crying, I wiped my tears, I spoke to God about it, and I went again.

It was very hard rereading courses you've already taken. Every time I opened the books to read again, I'd be like, 'But I read this thing,' and I would just start crying. But I continued.

I would cry with God, and I would go again, because I needed to do my before and after. What's the point of staying down and not going again? There's literally no point.

Looking back, how did that failure change you?

Now I'm so glad I failed. Failure taught me a lot. I thought I wasn't going to be able to survive it, but now I'm no longer scared to fail.

It made me learn a lot. It made me stronger. It made me braver. Now I can take on bold opportunities and not be scared about it, even though I might fail.

Sometimes, to not be scared of things, you have to face them.

The experience did not erase the disappointment, but it changed her relationship with failure. She learned that a setback did not have to become her identity.

Would you do anything differently if you could return to your 200 level?

Maybe in my 200 level I would have put less workload on myself. I was doing so much in 200 level. That was the year I also failed ICAN, and I was in too much school work.

I would have told myself to reduce what I was doing and focus on a few things instead of doing everything at once.

Her reflection is not simply about working harder. It is also about recognising limits and choosing where to put her energy.

The cost of doing so much

What did a typical week look like while you were balancing school, ICAN, ministry and the foundation?

It's crazy. I don't think anybody wants to live my life. There were some weeks I was running like a machine.

I could go four weeks on a marathon of being busy, running everything, but I knew I would spend one week being sick after. I've landed in the hospital a number of times.

My life was always very chaotic. There were definitely times I would get overwhelmed, block out everything, and go again the next day.

How did you organise your time when so many people needed you?

One thing I always did was set structures for my day. I would literally plan my whole day minute by minute. I knew what I was doing every minute, and I prioritised by season.

In my final year, I started reading from the first day of class. Whatever the teacher taught on the first day, I would read it before the next class.

I realised I didn't particularly have the time every other person had. So I accepted the truth about myself: 'Okay, I'm busier than everybody. Fine. Accept it. Now work with that.'

Did you ever feel you were missing out on the usual university experience?

There are seasons. In exam period, I don't take nonsense. Even people saying they want to see me about one life issue or the other, I would tell them, 'I'm reading, come back later.'

There are also seasons that are more lenient, because, having been reading since the beginning of the semester, maybe in the middle of the semester I can say, 'Oh, I can go out. I can see people. I can have a little fun. I can relax.'

I won't feel like I'm missing out, because I know I'm doing it for my future.

What did carrying so many responsibilities teach you about ambition?

I think it's the motive. What's my motive? Why do I want to do what I'm about to do right now?

Is it just because I want to get better at my work and know more, or is it because I'm trying to compare myself with other people and feeling left behind? The motive is what lets me know whether I'm being ambitious or just putting pressure on myself.

For Blossom, ambition becomes unhealthy when it is driven by comparison rather than a genuine desire to grow.

5. Love, timing and her mother's comment

Did you fall in love while you were in university?

Oh yes, I did. And I feel like it was one of the things that even helped me. I believe love is beautiful.

I fell in love in July, at the end of my 300 level, when I was about to enter final year. I was still writing ICAN then, my professional papers. I'm glad I did.

He's a nice guy, and he has supported me all the way till now. He helped me pass my exams, because he would get me nice things, support me, encourage me, encourage me, encourage me.

How did being in a relationship fit into a life that was already so busy?

I feel like it was one of the things that even helped me. He supported me and encouraged me while I was still writing my professional papers.

So I think love is even one of the things that help.

In Blossom's account, her relationship was a source of support during a demanding period rather than something she described only as a distraction.

You mentioned that your mother used to comment on dating during university. What did she say?

My mom used to say, 'Four years in school, zero man? It's not good.'

It is a memorable line from the interview. Blossom shared it while explaining her own experience of falling in love near the end of university.

Did your parents set rules about dating, or make a decision about when you could be in a relationship?

The interview records Blossom's comment about her mother's view, but it does not establish whether her parents set a formal rule, gave permission, or made a specific decision about her relationship.

What would you say to students who are wondering whether they should date while in university?

I don't advise it in the early years, but if you're almost graduating or entering final year, it's not a bad thing to consider.

That is Blossom's personal view from her own experience, not a rule that every student needs to follow.

The work and purpose beyond her degree

What did Zoe Foundation do while you were in school?

I led a foundation called Zoe Foundation. While in school, I built and led the foundation. We helped students who were in need during test and exam seasons. We gave them money and foodstuff, basically money, when they needed it.

Alongside her own studies, she created space to help other students facing financial need during demanding academic periods.

You also built and led Wildfire Movement. How does ministry fit into your life?

I'm also a pastor. I built and led a ministry while in school called Wildfire Movement. It clocked two years in September at the time of the interview.

I think knowing God at an early age really influenced my life decisions. There's a sense of purpose that knowing God came with. God is the greatest influence of my life, honestly.

What role did faith play when things did not go according to plan?

I just know that I can't give up. God was always there rooting for me: 'Okay, girl, you have to go again. This is the goal. You have not reached where you are going.'

What kept me going was my goals, God and structure.

How did you discover internships and other opportunities?

For internships, I had to find those myself. I realised there were a lot of opportunities people were missing out on because they did not have information.

I found friends who were interested in what I was interested in. When I went for the internship at KPMG, I went with two of my friends. Only three of us were from our university, and all three of us applied: me, Zanab and Josephine.

We joined WhatsApp groups that sent links for scholarships and internships. I joined a lot, so whenever I saw any opportunity, I just applied.

Her experience highlights the value of information, peer networks and applying consistently rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive.

What would you advise a student who has no connections or anyone to guide them?

They should start by applying for internships and scholarships. That's it. And they should focus on getting a good CGPA.

For someone who doesn't have any connections, still apply to internships and scholarships by yourself. You don't need connections for that.

How important were your friends during university?

We are four girls, and the four of us led our department till we graduated: Toby, Zanab, me and Aobi.

We have our group. We have our meetings. When one person is down, everybody shows up for that one person. When one person is not able to read, everybody shows up for that one person and helps put the book in their head.

We're always talking, always sharing information. From my OG team, we always support one another, so it's very important.

Her journey was not a solo achievement. Friendship brought encouragement, accountability and shared access to opportunities.

The person people do not always see

Do people sometimes see your achievements before they see you as a person?

Yes, very normal, and I'm already used to it. Everybody just sees my achievements and what I do, and also the fact that, 'Oh, woman of God.' Many people don't know me, me.

But I have friends who see me for me, so that's totally fine.

What is something people might not expect about you?

That I'm hilarious. I'm so funny. I'm just a girl who wants to play most of the time, and I don't take life seriously.

Every single thing has to be funny. I feel like Nigeria has already had enough, so why should we be holding things to our chest? Let's just laugh about everything.

Has being young ever made people underestimate you?

A lot of people don't believe my age. A lot. Even when I was younger, people didn't believe me.

People sometimes look at you in a weird way, overlook the things you say, or don't take you seriously. People just think, 'Oh, you're young. What are you saying?'

Being young helped her reach milestones early, but it also meant having to deal with people who questioned her age or took her less seriously.

How do you deal with criticism and the pressure to keep achieving?

There's definitely pressure from every side, every angle. Everybody has advice about what I should do next.

But I don't live in pressure. I live in the will of God for my life. I've learned to block out the noise. At the end of the day, they can only advise me. They can't live my life for me.

You have also talked about an interest in acting and filmmaking. Where did that come from?

I remember that when I was younger I used to watch Yoruba mommy-and-daddy movies a lot, and I used to act every single day.

I entered a creative competition in my 300 level by mistake. I was doing spoken word, but I was also acting it out by myself. I kept thinking I would drop out because I entered by mistake, but I never dropped.

I realised I was good at it. I can think of stories, write scripts and act. It's something I'm really interested in, and I believe I'll venture into it very soon.

What success means now

Has achieving so much changed how you define success?

The more certificates I gather, the more I realise that life is not really about certificates. They are great, but it is so fickle. Everybody celebrates you today, and tomorrow everybody has forgotten about it.

Success is not just about achieving certificates. It's about doing what God would have me do. So it's both of them. It's balance.

How do you know when you're being ambitious and when you're putting unnecessary pressure on yourself?

What's my motive? Why do I want to do what I'm about to do right now?

Is it just because I want to get better at my work and know more, or is it because I'm trying to compare myself with other people and feeling left behind?

What would you tell someone who feels behind because other people their age seem to be achieving more?

Everybody's journey is different. You're not me. I'm not you either.

If at 18 you're just getting admission, that's great. You just work on being the best and doing what you're supposed to do well.

Don't compare yourself with anybody. You can trust God with your life. Trust God for favour, for speed, for grace, for mercy.

What would you tell your younger self?

I would first tell her how great a woman she was going to become. I would tell her to never look down on herself, to never give up on God, and to always keep going no matter what.