TOPFAITH BOSS EXULTS EXCELLENCE
Exuding vivacious excitement, reminiscent of a top celebrity, Topfaith School’s Chairman, Board of Governors (BOG), Dr. Emmanuel Abraham, extolled excellence at graduation of 2021 students of Topfaith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Essien Udium, Akwa Ibom State, last weekend.
Pouring encomiums on the 213 graduands as the ambassadors of a school, renowned for excellence, he charged them to sustain the culture of excellence they were brought up while studying in the school. He also felicitated the parents, academic and administrative personnel of the school for being important partners in the task of raising the bar of excellence in the academics, moral upbringing and character development of the students of the school.
Here is part of his remarks: “As you complete your secondary school education and graduate today, you have achieved a foundational stepping stone for higher heights. But do not fail to embrace the culture of excellence in all you do and in every situation you find yourself. You have been nurtured, disciplined, guided, counselled, showed love and cared for in excellent manners throughout your stay in school. Your great Alma mater, by the special grace of God, is a brand that has attained and sustained excellent services in educational affairs over the last two decades. Therefore, you are a product of excellence by all standards. I charge you today, to passionately keep the flame of excellence burning in order to achieve success and greater heights.
My dear graduating Eagles, Aristotle rightly put it when he said that “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit”. It can be deduced therefrom, that excellence is creating a consistent attribute of fineness, brilliance, superiority, distinction, quality and merit. Excellence is being good at a good thing, striving to be the best you can be and doing the best you can do! Excellence upholds moral virtues and promotes anything positive, valuable, and praiseworthy. It is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. It is indeed the basic ingredient in any success story.
Excellence is not just needed for the fun of it or as mere academic exercise; rather, excellence is needful as it is the pivot for individual, corporate, national growth and development. It is the catalyst that drives other variables towards optimum productivity in academic, economic and social lives. So, as you step out into the wide world, if you want to be successful, you have to sustain excellence as a habit.
Notwithstanding the enormous benefits and glamour of excellence, it is not attained through cheap talk and mere wishes but through hard work and diligence. My dear graduands, take pleasure in what brings you satisfaction, commit to doing what is required to excel in any area of interest, put to play your knowledge and experiences, have enthusiastic feelings that lead to creativity, maintain an upbeat attitude about yourself and your goal, stay focused on what you want, be willing to share, learn, unlearn and relearn. These attitudes are excellent attributes capable of sustaining high level and extraordinary performances.
There is no gainsaying that excellence has no bounds in its applicability. Excellence is needed in your further and higher studies, at work place, at home, in social circles, in religious life, in voluntary services and even in marriage. Indeed, the habit of excellence catalyses achievements in all spheres of life.
The Class of 2021, it is obvious that you have been thoroughly imbued with the spirit and passion for excellence. This undoubtedly, must have accounted for your superlative performances in various spheres of engagements during your studentship in our great school.
As you bow graciously out of our system, I must not fail to salute the Valedictorian, Marylyn Anya Ibem for pursuing excellence and coming out best academically amongst the erudite Class of 2021. I hold in special esteem, the oratory ability and leadership skills of Joseph Ekong Udoh, Beverly Ogbonne Ukoha, and Marylyn Anya Ibem. The escapades made by the 2018 Cowbellpedia clan of Beverly Ogbonne Ukoha, Darabasi Paul Udoette, and Raphael Anthony Ekutt will never elude my appreciable notice. Roseline Etop Idem and Precious Nkanta were spectacularly brilliant in the 2018 Bureau of Public Enterprise National Essay Competition and the 2019 National Commission for Museums Competition respectively.
I should not forget in a hurry the fascinating performances of Emmanuel Osinachi, Tinuola Joy Adetola, James Daniel Nnanna, Etim Aniekeme Okon and Excellence Ubong Akpan in the 2019 National Gallery of Art Competition. In far away Accra in Ghana, the duo of Joseph Ekong Udoh and Sarah Danielle Festus mesmerized the ensemble of African young eggheads with their articulatory and oratory power to cart home the covetous prize of the 2020 Pan-African Schools Debate Competition. And as though that was not enough, Ekemini Aniefiok Peter, in the same year, made us proud in the 22nd National JETS Competiton held in Lagos while Oghenekaro Geraldine Ishiekwene had the full attention of the entire nation as she featured live on Channels Television after emerging 2nd Runner-Up in the 2020/2021 Channels TV Book Club Competition. I also note with pride and happiness, the consistency and extraordinary display of prowess in sports by David Egena Egena and Nmesoma Favour Emelike. These achievements and many others in Music Competitions and March Pasts are no mean feats and could only be attained through terrific excellence culture.”
Charging the graduands to strive towards success, he said: “Based on the momentum already set in your mindset as treasured students of our great school, I am confident that you will aspire for great successes in your future endeavours as you graciously graduate today. However, do permit me to briefly instruct you on the dynamics of success.
Success has many dimensions. According to Robert Collier, “success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out”. One succeeds according to his or her successful definition of success. But generally, success is the state or condition of achieving a defined goal or an expectation. Success is the opposite of failure. Obviously, real success in life is the ability, capacity and opportunity to achieve important goals, vision and missions in life. Success is equally a situation of being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, loved and loving.
There are various factors that contribute to a successful life. It is important to remind you to reflect on some critical life success factors as you graduate from Topfaith International Secondary School today. Such factors include good education, resources, skill, good contacts and interpersonal relationships, good work habits, good time management, goodwill, creativity, self-control, setting of specific goals, perseverance, carefulness, thoroughness and good character. Are you deficient in any of these? Do have a thorough self- assessment and strive to improve accordingly!
Invariably, everyone holds within himself or herself everything needed to achieve all of the success desired. Success is therefore determined more by your personal efforts and habits than external factors. Let me then remind that your successful future is in your hands. I recommend that you form and promote habits that would lead to great success.
I suggest that you take advantage of your good foundational education in Topfaith School and ensure that you remain Goal-oriented, Result-oriented, Action-oriented, People- oriented, Health-conscious, Honest, Self-disciplined and God fearing. If you internalize these habits, it is obvious that you would be able to define success and practice same through habitual and intentional actions by setting specific goals in every situation, understanding obstacles and challenges, creating positive mental picture and attitude, clearing your mind of self-doubt, embracing the challenges, staying on track and showing the world that you can do it!
I trust you can do it! I sincerely pray that God should give you the grace to do it! I implore you to accept our parting gift of the Holy Bible as a “Divine Souvenir” for your guidance.”
The ceremony, which attracted top professionals, academia, was attended by the immediate past Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State Judiciary, Hon. Justice Godwin Abraham as the chairman of the occasion, who also motivated the graduands on the imperative of sustaining excellence, synonymous with the school. Justice Godwin Abraham also participated in presenting awards to best performing students in different areas.
