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Graduation is always a source of pride for family and friends gathered to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones but today held extra-special significance for ������ graduate Busayo Ati-John.

Busayo, from Ennis in Co. Clare, was following in both of her parents’ footsteps as she was conferred with the very same degree they studied at UL – the MA in Business Management at Kemmy Business School (KBS).

“It’s so funny because, throughout the years, my parents had always mentioned the master’s in UL – they were always so fond of UL and spoke so highly of their experience,” said Busayo.

Her journey to Castletroy, however, came about in an unexpected manner. Having completed her undergraduate degree in Law and French at University College Cork, Busayo spent a year teaching English in Paris, honing her language skills in the city where she had previously spent her Erasmus year. Postgraduate education was always on the cards for Busayo, whose faith is an incredibly important part of her life, and she says it was “God’s design” that she ended up swapping France for Ireland and applying to UL.

“I’ve always had it in me that I wanted to get into business – it’s just how I’ve always been. I love working with people; I love meeting new people, hearing their experiences and finding common ground on things you wouldn’t think that you could. And I feel like, at the bedrock of business, is relationships,” she said. 

While her parents, George and Matilda, had shared glowing testimonials from their time at UL, Busayo’s own experience at the University exceeded her expectations.

“It was the best decision for me because of the experiences I had here, the people I met, the lecturers,” she said.

“Kemmy Business School is a great school, and the course is very comprehensive. I do feel that the lecturers have been in touch with industry leaders, so they were giving us exactly what employers are looking for. They’re training us in economics, the basis of business, marketing, financial management … They really were trying to prepare us for anything.”

Among the highlights of Busayo’s time at UL was her experience winning a national policy-writing competition alongside two of her closest friends, culminating in an opportunity to present to members of the European Parliament in Brussels. 

Busayo and friends Naomi and Kali – all of whom met through UL’s Christian Union Society – entered the competition with their visionary proposal, ‘Re-building the Future we Desire’, aimed at fostering a stronger relationship between the European Union and its youth population. Having impressed the competition judges and gained online support through a dedicated social media campaign, Busayo and her colleagues were invited to the European Parliament to present their proposal to several MEPs as well as the EU Youth Coordinator at the EU Commission.

“This was another amazing thing that UL gave me,” said Busayo.

“We got to meet other contestants from different countries, which was really cool. And just the idea of being at the European Parliament was amazing; and the contacts – meeting people that are opening your mind to something new.”

Busayo reserves special credit for her course lecturers, for their constant encouragement around exciting opportunities as well as her studies. Indeed, she admits that one year at UL wasn’t quite enough for her, and further study may be on the cards in the future.

“The course provided avenues for growth. In my experience, it was a case of putting your critical-thinking cap on and seeing how you can expand on this. This is what has led me to investigating possibly doing a PhD – I want to do one, and I want to do it in UL.”

Now working as a purchasing analyst in Verizon, Limerick, Busayo said she is grateful to be part of a company in which “everyone is determined to grow” and she is “continuously learning”.

While Busayo is excited for the future, she is focused on celebrating the achievement of completing her postgrad – and the special meaning that holds for both her and her family.

“It’s cool to know that I did the same thing as my parents,” she said.

“My mum passed away in 2022, and it’s nice to know I did the same course as her – I walked the same corridors, I had the same lecturers.

“I hope I can always continue to make my parents proud, because I have great parents and I want to showcase the values that they have instilled inside me: faith, kindness, and always wanting to learn. If we’re not learning in life, we kind of stay still – and I want to grow.”