Tolulope Mabo Wins Governor General’s Gold Medal at Concordia University of Edmonton

By Benson Michael

Lagos, Nigeria. June 2018 – It was a moment of joy and celebration on May 26, 2018, at the Concordia University of Edmonton’s convocation ceremony as Tolulope Mabo, a graduating student from the Master of Information Systems program, emerged as the best graduating student, receiving the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal Award.

The Governor General’s Gold Medal is one of Canada’s highest academic distinctions, presented to students who achieve the highest academic standing upon graduation. This year, the honour went to Tolulope, whose exceptional academic performance, commitment to excellence, and strong work ethic distinguished her from her peers.

Throughout her program, Tolulope consistently maintained top grades and excelled beyond the classroom. She was celebrated for her remarkable leadership as ISACA student president and for her master’s research paper, which was published and presented at World CIST in Italy. She was also highly commended for her service as a Graduate Assistant to multiple professors—teaching, grading, and motivating students.

Her professors and colleagues praised her discipline, resilience, and inspiring character, describing her as a model of academic excellence and leadership.

In her acceptance remarks, Tolulope expressed deep gratitude to her family, faculty, and friends for their unwavering support. “This award is not just for me,” she said. “It represents the encouragement, mentorship, and love I received along the way. I hope it inspires others to keep pushing forward and striving for excellence.”

She also shared words of encouragement to younger students: “There is absolutely nothing you can’t achieve once you set your mind on it and work hard. Mistakes are part of the learning process and your success stories—learn from them! Don’t give up!”

With this distinguished award added to her portfolio, Tolulope plans to pursue a professional career in the cybersecurity and audit space, contributing meaningfully to the industry.

The convocation ended with a standing ovation in honour of Tolulope, whose achievement reinforces the power of resilience, hard work, and a passion for knowledge.