The Centre for Mentorship and Career Development, Kaduna State University (KASU), on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, organised its Thrive and Lead Mentorship Session Series to empower students to discover their potential, build confidence and lead with purpose.
The mentorship session, held at the Reserve Section of the KASU Main Library, was convened by the Director of the Centre for Mentorship and Career Development, Dr Bashariya B. Mustapha. The programme focused on personal development, career readiness, leadership skills and academic excellence under the theme, “Becoming Your Best Self: Building Confidence, Identity and Positive Influence.”
The guest speaker, Mrs Sadiya Mohammed, Founder of Dynamic Academic Consulting and Learning Hub (DCL_HUB), a journalist and educationist, delivered an engaging and interactive presentation that encouraged students to develop confidence, embrace their identity and become positive influences in society.
To create an open and participatory atmosphere, Mrs Mohammed encouraged participants to speak freely, respect every voice, reflect throughout the session and confidently express themselves. Students introduced themselves by sharing their names, courses of study, one word that described them and what they hoped to gain from the mentorship programme.
She explained that becoming one’s best self begins with building confidence, understanding one’s identity and values, resisting peer pressure, developing resilience and having a clear personal plan. She reminded the students that confidence is built through deliberate personal growth and not something people are born with, stressing that no one can make another person feel inferior without that person’s consent.
Mrs Mohammed identified self-doubt, comparison with others, peer pressure and pretending to be someone else as common obstacles to confidence. She distinguished healthy confidence from fragile confidence, explaining that healthy confidence is rooted in personal values and genuine strengths, accepts correction, celebrates the success of others without jealousy and remains steady even when criticised or rejected.
She also spoke on emotional intelligence, emphasising that the voice people use to speak to themselves can either build or destroy confidence. According to her, identity is not defined by social media, academic grades or friends, but by a person’s values, strengths and life experiences. She encouraged the students to allow their values to guide their decisions, filter negative influences and keep them focused on their goals.
As part of the practical session, participants identified and documented their values, strengths and personal commitments on worksheets, which they later discussed. Mrs Mohammed advised the students to keep the worksheets and continually reflect on them as reminders of their strengths and potential for growth.
In her remarks, Dr Bashariya B. Mustapha commended the students for their active participation and reinforced the key lessons shared during the session. She urged them to apply the knowledge gained in their academic pursuits, career development and personal lives.
In recognition of her impactful presentation and contribution to student development, Dr Bashariya presented Mrs Sadiya Mohammed with a Certificate of Facilitation.
The mentorship session ended with closing remarks by Dr Bashariya B. Mustapha, followed by group photographs with participants, marking another successful edition of the Thrive and Lead Mentorship Session Series aimed at nurturing confident, responsible and purpose-driven KASU students.