Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Reflections at Seventy-Four
Isaac Megbolugbe
September 2026
Introduction
As I sit at seventy-four, looking toward the horizon of my seventy-fifth year, time takes on a rich and resonant quality. Life at this stage is like standing on a high hill. You look back and see the entire path you have walked.
When I trace the blueprint and architecture of my career, I do not see a solitary journey. Instead, I see the towering, palpable figures of my mentors. They guided me, instructed me, and offered me a vision to live by. They equipped me intellectually, encouraged my steps, empowered my ambitions, and celebrated my milestones.
To look back over decades of scholarship and feel their presence so clearly is a profound blessing. I am filled with deep gratitude and joy.
The Architects of My Mind
A career in academia is built brick by brick, but the master builders are the mentors who hand us our first tools. My mentors did more than teach subjects; they shaped how I think.
Equipping and Empowering
Intellectual growth requires both safety and challenge. My mentors provided both in abundance. They did not just hand me answers; they taught me how to ask the right questions.
They equipped me with the skills I needed to stand in lecture halls, laboratories, and research committees. More than that, they empowered me. They trusted me with responsibility before I felt fully ready. That trust became the quiet engine of my confidence. When I stumbled, they offered a hand up, not a reprimand. They taught me that true scholarship grows stronger through resilience.
Encouragement and Celebration
The academic life can be solitary and demanding. In moments of doubt, the voice of a mentor changeseverything. A timely word of encouragement acted as a compass, pointing me back true north when fatigue set in.
And they celebrated me. From my earliest published papers to major career milestones, their applause was genuine. They took pride in my growth. Because they celebrated my successes, I learned how to celebrate the successes of my own students later in life. The echo of their joy has become the rhythm of my own mentorship.
A Legacy of Grace
As I prepare to cross the threshold into my seventy-fifth year, I realize that we never truly walk alone. The giants who shaped my life live on through the work I do and the students I guide. Their marks are permanent, beautiful, and alive.
I am thankful for every mentor who took the time to shape Professor Isaac Adegbulugbe. My life is rich because they poured their wisdom into my spirit.
Isaac Megbolugbe, Director of GIVA Ministries International. He is a recipient of Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in business and academia in the United States of America. He is retired professor at Johns Hopkins University, Former Vice President at Fannie Mae, Former Practice Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He is resident in the United States of America.
