NOBLE: Inspired By Parents For Academic Excellence

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO

Noble Shimnu Sule, a 21-year-old Nigerian-British citizen from Farman in Zango-Kataf LGA, Kaduna State, recently achieved an indelible mark of academic excellence in the United Kingdom when he graduated with First Class Honours in LLB Law degree at the University of Manchester, a Russell Group institution ranked among the world’s best universities. Born in 2003 in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, Noble and his two brothers relocated to the UK in 2009, after his early years of kindergarten at Shining Star School in Kubwa, Abuja, to join their mother, who was then pursuing her PhD programme in Environmental Engineering at the Imperial College London.

Blessed with his beloved parents – Dr May Sule, a lecturer at Cranfield University UK, and James Sule, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service – who never looked back in encouraging their children to be the best they can in the pursuit of academic excellence, Noble, who left his country when he was only six years, would blossom into an awesome source of educational distinction for not only the pride of his parents but also for Nigeria.

London afforded him the opportunity to walk and fulfil his dream of treading the path of excellence, while also providing a chance to attain the academic achievement he had always yearned for.

According to him, “I continued to take my education seriously in London, attending both primary and secondary schools. I was awarded an All-Rounder Scholarship to attend Harrow School, one of the UK’s most prestigious boarding schools, where I successfully completed my GCSEs and A Levels, achieving A*A*A grades in the latter. Following my A Levels, I pursued an LLB Law degree at The University of Manchester, graduating with First-Class Honours. I now plan to complete a Master of Laws (LLM) at The University of Law”.

Sule’s major driving force for academic distinction, the first-class law graduate recalls, is hinged on his personal ambition and desire to succeed and achieve his set goals. Clinging to his strong determination to make the most of opportunities to strive for academic excellence that came his way, Noble had to transform such opportunities into something meaningful.

Ascribing his present height of academic excellence to his family, especially the support from incredible parents who left nothing to chance and became the motivation to propel him to be forward-looking and settle for nothing less than outstanding performance, the law graduate describes his parents as having “played a significant role in motivating me. Their unceasing prayers, unwavering and steadfast support, untiring encouragement, and unfailing belief in me have been invaluable throughout my academic journey”.

Noble also credited his success to the commendable support of his brothers: the elder, Dudley, who graduated with a second-class upper (2:1) in Marketing & Advertising, University of Northampton, and completed a Masters in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Queen Mary University of London, and the younger, Royal, who is currently in his second year studying Computer Science at The University of Leeds.

In walking the path of intellectual pursuit, the first-class graduate of law sees his parents as guardian angels who have helped him to remain extremely focused and recalled to his memory the importance of hard work and dedication to whatever dream one has set for himself. Blessed with loving parents who never wavered in guiding their young ones to achieve nothing less than excellence in their academic endeavours, Noble views his parents as lifelong mentors whose amazing achievements he strives to build upon and set new frontiers for himself. He noted that: “Setting new frontiers requires focus, hard work, dedication, perseverance, and willingness to challenge the status quo”.

His earlier engagement with lawyers developed his interest in reading law. According to him, “My initial interest in law, particularly Commercial Law, was sparked during a week-long work experience at a shipping container leasing company in the UK during the summer of 2019. Here, I was directly exposed to lawyers, learning that a legal career allows me to observe the relationship between business trends and legal regulation.”

“This experience provoked me to pursue a Law degree at university, and my subsequent time there, along with practical experience gained interning at a top law firm, further reaffirming my desire to become a lawyer.”

On what he will use his legal degree to achieve, the brilliant law graduate says he intends to deploy his legal expertise to realise his dreams of becoming a qualified commercial lawyer. Noble aspires to work in a reputable law firm, such as a Magic Circle firm, to contribute to its growth and success by helping clients navigate legal landscapes with expert advice.

In his words, “By using my knowledge and skills, I hope to address and resolve complex legal challenges, create new business opportunities, and drive innovative solutions within the industry. After gaining valuable and necessary experience, I would like to establish my own law firm”.

Even after graduating with a first-class degree, Noble’s thirst for additional academic laurels is not yet over. He is returning to Manchester this month to complete a one-year LLM at The University of Law. After completing his Masters degree, he plans to sit for and pass the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). While preparing for these exams, Noble will be applying to commercial law firms across the UK with the goal of securing a training contract and ultimately qualify as a commercial solicitor. Noble also looks forward to enrolling in the Nigerian Law School in the near future to enable him to practise both abroad and at home.