The role of parents in their children’s career choices, ensuring they are set up for a successful career, future financial security, and good quality of life is a pressing challenge for every parent. But should parents decide which career their children will pursue?
Over the years parents have been major influential factors in the career development of their children. For some, their children acquiesced to their demands. For others, it was a different story. Here are stories of some famous people and the role their parents played in their career choices.
- Folorunsho Alakija
Until her father squelched the dream, Folorunsho Alakija, philanthropist, billionaire businesswoman, Vice-chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company, and one of Africa’s 10 wealthiest women for 2022; second behind Isabel Dos Santos of Angola whose worth is $2.2 billion she wanted to study law.
Making the disclosure on her Instagram page of Friday, 17 March 17, Apostle Alakija penned: “Growing up as a girl, I dreamt of becoming a lawyer, but my father had other plans for me. He insisted that I become a secretary instead, despite having the means to support my aspirations. His reasoning was that I would eventually get married and change my last name, making any investment in my career a waste of resources.”
“Sadly, my experience is not unique. Women around the world continue to face obstacles and discrimination, depriving them of the opportunity to fulfill their potential. But this must change.
‘It is high time that society recognizes the immense value and contributions that women bring. Women are hardworking, possess the necessary skills, and have invaluable assets that can significantly benefit society. Yet, they often face unequal opportunities and discrimination compared to their male counterparts.
“As a woman who has experienced discrimination first-hand, I urge you to join me in calling for change. Let us empower ourselves and each other to break free from limiting beliefs and expectations. In my book, Folorunso Alakija Speaks, I share my thoughts on how women can shift their mindset from being part of the pack to leading it. I encourage every woman to read it and take action to make a difference in their life and the lives of others.
“As we celebrate women this month, let us acknowledge their achievements and commit to supporting and empowering them. Together, we can create a world where every woman has the opportunity to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential.”
- Florence Nightingale
Had Florence Nightingale who immensely impacted the course of modern nursing and medicine listened to her parents’ objections, there would have been no “Lady with the Lamp. Born into a wealthy British family living in Florence, Italy, in 1820, Her father a well-to-do landowner, and mother an ambitious socialite expected her to conform to the Victorian standards of marriage and childbearing. Nightingale expressed her interest in nursing to her parents, going so far as to say she felt a Godly calling into the medical field. In those times, nurses were considered uneducated and even promiscuous, and her parents forbade her from that line of work. But after refusing a marriage proposal, Florence had the gumption to enroll in nursing school at age 30. Her parents finally conceded when they realized she valued nursing over marriage, and Nightingale’s career led her to improve sanitary conditions at hospitals, develop better nursing practices, and create educational programs and schools for other nurses.
- Kamala Harris
During her history-making victory speech on the evening of Saturday 7 November 2020, wherein she introduced herself as America’s first woman Vice President, Kamala Devi Harris an American politician and attorney painted a picture of the huge influence of her mother, a biologist who moved to California from southern India in the Fifties to study at Berkeley, and who died in 2009, made on her life’s path.
“We are so grateful to … the woman most responsible for my presence here today, my mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who’s always in our hearts…When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible. So, I’m thinking about her.”
“My mother was barely five foot one, but I felt like she was six foot two. She was smart and tough and fierce and protective. She was generous, loyal, and funny. She had only two goals in life: to raise her two daughters and to end breast cancer. She pushed us hard and with high expectations as she nurtured us.”
- Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel who founded the Nobel Peace Prize did not plan to be a scientist, and he kept up his passion for his original career choice— literature and poetry. Alfred’s father, Immanuel Nobel, a Swedish inventor, and engineer, however, hoped his son would follow in his footsteps. When Immanuel realized Alfred was more interested in writing and reading than science, he sent his son on an educational trip where he learned chemical engineering in four counties. Alfred would go on to create dynamite and hold over 300 patents.
But, behind closed doors, he continued writing, creating poetry, plays, and novels that were never published. And, he ensured the Nobel Peace Prize would honor standout writers.
- Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana
Nigerian artiste/actor, lawyer, and activist popularly known as ‘Falz’ said: “I had always wanted to emulate my parents. I saw what they had achieved together by building an empire and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I didn’t know that someday, I was going to drop the wig and gown to become an artiste. But as I was studying for a law degree, my passion for entertainment began to grow. By the time I was done with my degree, I knew I was more passionate about entertainment. But I still went to law school, to get the necessary qualification. I also spent about two years in active law practice. I was involved in litigation and going to court. At that time, I was juggling both. I would go to the court in the daytime and at night, I would go and perform at events. I was basically living two lives and I kept it up until it couldn’t work anymore.”
The Jenifa’s Diary actor, son of Femi Falana, a foremost activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria said he was always afraid of being in his father’s shadow.
“Being an upcoming artist, headlines, newspapers, magazine and online publications tagged me as Femi Falana’s son and I would say “Hello, is that my stage name?”
“My fear was that how long is this going to last? How long will people continue to refer to me as his son. But after so much effort and hard work, I arrived at a place where they now refer to my dad as Falz’s dad.”
- Davido
Many people do not know that Davido’s father disapproved of him being a musician. Davido’s father and billionaire businessman, Adedeji Adeleke had wanted his son, to work in one of his companies.
But, due to his burning passion for music, Davido once ran away from home and aligned with some big names in the music industry to learn the ropes. His dad reportedly once threatened to arrest those musicians he felt were ‘misleading his son.’
Today, Davido is one of Africa’s biggest artistes.
- Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus, American singer, and actress known for the Disney Channel TV series Hannah Montana is the daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was eight, her father took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of Mamma Mia! at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. She grabbed his arm and told him she wanted to be an actress. She then enrolled on singing and acting lessons at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto
Her mother, Tish Cyrus, became her manager and defined her career from her tween roles. She contacted bestselling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) and asked him to write something specifically for Miley. The meeting between Miley and Sparks led to the creation of the best-selling novel, The Last Song, and Miley starred in its movie adaptation.
- Celia Cruz
Cuban-American singer Celia Cruz sidetracked her father’s feelings about singing salsa music to become a Latin music icon. As a teenager, Celia won a radio singing contest in Havana, Cuba, and was encouraged by her mother to attempt a music career.
But Celia’s father pressured her to be a teacher instead, and though she did attend a nearby teachers’ college to appease her father, she chose to return to singing. “I wanted to be a mother, a teacher, and a housewife. But when I began to sing with La Sonoroa Matancera, I thought, ‘This is my chance and I’m going to do it,’” she said in 1985. Her father eventually came around.
- 2Baba
Innocent Idibia’s mum, that is the mother of Tuface Idibia, pardon me, 2Baba, did not want him to do music.
2Baba once revealed that his mother was looking at more conservative jobs like banking, medicine, law, and the like.
