Every student enters university with a plan, whether it’s to get a distinction, network, or grow new skills. For Success Letitsia Samuel and Dovish Okojie, former and pioneer executives of the Miva Press Club, that journey led them to a community where they sharpened their talents, found their voices, and made a lasting impact.
In this interview, they share what inspired them to join the club, the experiences that shaped them, and why they believe every student should make the most of opportunities beyond the classroom.
In This Post
Getting to Know Success, Dovish, and the Miva Press Club
Please introduce yourself, the Miva Press Club, and your role in the club.
Success: My name is Success Letitsia Samuel, and I served as the press secretary of the Miva Press Club. As I said, I served; I’m the first press secretary.
The Press Club is a vibrant community of students who are passionate about journalism, storytelling and documenting life at Miva Open University.
As press secretary, I helped coordinate the club’s communication, supported the publication of news and feature stories and worked alongside other members like the president, Gold Anikpe; the first vice president, Dovish; and the editor, David Adeleke, and other wonderful people I worked with. Thank you so much again.
Thank you; that’s very interesting. Dovish, briefly introduce yourself as well.
Dovish: I’m Dovish Okojie, past vice president of the Miva Press Club and a student of data science. I just came here at the invitation of our president to support our press secretary; just stay around and support. Thank you very much.
Success, what inspired you to join the Miva Press Club, and what does the club represent to you?
Success: I joined the Press Club because I have always believed in the power of stories to educate, inspire and connect people.
I wanted to contribute to telling the stories happening within our beautiful community and help ensure that students’ experiences are seen and appreciated.
Today, the Press Club represents a platform for creativity, learning, collaboration and responsible journalism among students. It’s a place where ideas come alive, and every student has the opportunity to make an impact through storytelling.
These are the major reasons why I joined, and also to build a family beyond borders.
You mentioned that you publish articles. Where do you publish these articles?
Success: Okay, we have our platform where we publish articles called the Miva Bulletin.
It’s an initiative that was inspired by the executives of the club alongside the patrons and matrons. Our president, Gold, brought this idea, and we all keyed into it.
Miva Bulletin was birthed and is thriving. It’s actively distributed among the student community, and everything about Miva—students’ storytelling and reportage centred around Miva—is showcased on that platform.
I am really very grateful to have been part of it. I’m really thrilled.
I think I understand. Being in an online university, this brings a level of connection with your schoolmates because some of you are not in the same programmes.
Success: True.
Writing Stories, Building Skills, and Living the Miva Press Club Culture
That’s great. What kind of stories do you feel are more important for the Press Club to tell within the Miva community?
Success: Well, I believe the most important stories are those that highlight student achievements, academic excellence, innovations, resilience and personal growth.
We should also tell stories that celebrate diversity as an institution with different ethnicities. We should showcase impactful innovations and provide useful information that helps students navigate university life.
Every student has a unique journey, and those stories deserve to be told.
What skills have members gained through participating in club activities in the Press Club?
Success: To be very honest, there are a lot.
Our president has been one person that I am so privileged to have worked with. With her initiative, members have developed strong writing and editing skills, interviewing techniques, research abilities, teamwork, leadership, communication and critical thinking.
Beyond journalism, the club also helps members improve time management, confidence, networking and digital media skills that are valuable in many professional fields.
A lot of people join just to belong somewhere, but joining is one thing. Coming with purpose and the objective of learning is another.
The ones who have this mindset before joining have gained all these skills.
The president is one person I know who is up and doing. She’s active, super-active. She’s always engaging, always bringing up innovations, ideas, ways to improve and ways to do better.
I became better, having worked with her.
That’s very inspiring and something a lot of people should keep in mind. Like you said, you should not just join just to join, but you should have a purpose. And I’m glad you bettered yourself, and the president is doing a lot based on what you and Dovish have said.
Now, what makes the culture within the Press Club unique?
Success: Our culture is built on collaboration, respect, creativity and continuous learning. Every member is encouraged to contribute ideas regardless of experience. Everyone has the opportunity to grow.
We, the executives, support one another. Dovish is my ride or die all the time.
We support one another. We collaborate with different perspectives and strive to produce content that reflects the integrity, professionalism and excellence that Miva Stars are known for.
On the Future of the Miva Press Club and Newbies
You already mentioned this, but how do you see the Press Club evolving as the Miva community grows? We’ve crossed 31,000 students. How do you see the Press Club evolving in this expanding community?
Success: Expansion all falls on the right leadership, and I believe the Miva Press Club is in the right hands.
Gold, just like her name, is gold.
With her at the helm of affairs, I see the Press Club becoming an even more influential platform through expanded multimedia storytelling, podcasts, video posts, newsletters, documentaries and digital publications.
As the Miva community continues to grow, the club can become the central voice for student journalism, creating richer stories, stronger collaborations and broader opportunities for members to develop professionally.
This is what I see.
All right. Now, my last question for you.
What advice would you give to students who want to explore journalism or media through the club?
Success: This is personal advice I would give because I’m giving it as if I’m giving it to myself.
Don’t wait until you feel perfect before you begin. Nobody’s perfect. We are not robots.
The uniqueness of humans is our ability to rise and fall, make mistakes, and learn.
Be curious, ask questions, stay open to learning and never underestimate the value of your perspective.
Every great journalist, storyteller, writer and interviewer started by listening, observing and practising consistently.
The Press Club is a supportive environment. Use it. Make use of the opportunities you will get there. Ask questions. It’s students among students. Feel free.
That’s how you learn and build your confidence. You can only learn when you ask questions and are corrected with love.
It helps you sharpen your skills and use your voice to make a positive difference in the university community.
You can start somewhere.
Just like I said, don’t wait until you feel perfect before beginning.
Just start. Don’t overthink it.
Just do it, as Nike said.
Not For Media Students Only
Dovish, I’m going to ask you a question. During your introduction, you mentioned that you were a data science student, so it caught my attention because you’re in the Miva Press Club. What inspired you to join the Miva Press Club?
Dovish: Interesting question.
I’ve always been a press enthusiast.
Prior to joining Miva, I had written several articles published in national dailies and prominent online news platforms. I’ve always been expressive and liked to share ideas and help shape narratives.
I’ve been a writer for a long time. The data science part of me is the scientific part, which has always been my initial calling.
I’ve been able to find a very thin line between science and the arts, so I’ve been able to combine the two.
When I learnt the Press Club needed someone to fill that void and make an impact, and I also saw the quality of the people there—my brother Success, a very powerful man, and President Gold, a very amazing individual—I didn’t hesitate.
I just moved straight in and did what I had to do. It wasn’t difficult. I was able to combine both my scientific side and my artistic side. When I told people from my field that I was in the Press Club, they were surprised.
It was an opportunity, and I was so glad to serve. I thought I knew a lot, but when I joined the Press Club, I learned way more. Thankfully, we had amazing leaders, and it was a wonderful opportunity to serve and improve as an individual by joining the Press Club of Miva Open University.
Thank you very much.
Art is the passion, science is the calling, but being able to balance both. That’s great.
Premium Benefits and Building Experience at Miva
Is there anything you’d like to say? Any final words regarding Miva, prospective students or students who want to join the Press Club?
Dovish: Well, as press people, we always have something to say. Success can attest to that. We are never short of words.
As for the school, it has given a lot of students, including us, the opportunity to do great things. We came as enthusiasts trying to better ourselves in several fields. When we got here, it was a different ballgame.
We paid for education, but we got premium benefits out of it. We were able to discover other aspects of our lives, interact with other people and meet people from different walks of life.
I really want to commend the school for creating this platform right from its inception as an online university. It’s an amazing achievement, and I say kudos to them. May they keep reaching higher.
I have nothing but love for our school and the administration. From the Chancellor to the Vice-Chancellor, every member of staff has been amazing so far. Let them keep up the good work, maintain the quality, and uphold the standards.
As for students, I think they should understand that this is an opportunity. People say opportunity comes but once, but Miva gives us several opportunities to do great things at different points in time.
As much as you’re coming here to get educated and earn a degree, don’t shy away from the other things you can use to better yourself and add to your experiences. The school offers a lot: the Press Club, Innovation Hub, different events, masterclasses, and more.
Don’t just come for your mid-semester exams, end-of-semester exams, labs, and projects. Learn from every other aspect because you don’t know what could be waiting for you out there.
For those who want to join the Press Club, you are welcome. The Press Club is willing to accommodate everybody. When I say everybody, I mean everybody.
As far as Miva is concerned, there is the Press Club and other clubs.
This is where you meet not just fellow students but a family, a community and a functioning platform that is ready to accept you and help you become better.
Earlier, Success said he learned a lot in the Press Club. For someone with his experience to say that tells you something meaningful is happening there. The same goes for me. Despite everything I had learnt before joining, I still became a better person through the Press Club.
I encourage students to register, participate, be active, and make the most of the opportunities available. The Press Club exists to help people grow and become better versions of themselves.
I also want to appreciate the executive team I served with. Success and I stepped down because our constitution doesn’t allow final-year students to serve another term. I’m happy that the president is still there to lead the club.
The Press Club is in safe hands, and we’re very proud of her. We’re also proud of the new executives, and we believe they’ll take the club to an even higher level.
Conclusion
For Success and Dovish, the Miva Press Club is more than a student organisation. It is a place to grow, build confidence, develop communication skills and form lifelong relationships. Their stories show that the club is open to every student, whether they have 5 years of experience or are newbies.
As Miva continues to grow, they believe the Press Club will remain a platform where students can tell stories with purpose and prepare for opportunities beyond Miva.
If you needed any more convincing that Miva is a rich ecosystem for your undergraduate or postgraduate studies, I believe Success and Dovish have been able to encourage you to apply to start your own journey at Miva. Don’t wait; start now!