By Mark C. Orgu , News/Comments, June 27, 2021
LAGOS-It was a gathering of parents, wards, friends and well-wishers at the weekend when 16 Plus School had a-parting away of her ex-students to greater height. Indeed, it was a glorious ceremony as some of the graduands will be proceeding to some prestigious Universities in the United Kingdom and USA, etc.
Meanwhile, delivering his address at the graduation ceremony is Mr. Remi Babalola, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Holdings PLC, who admonished the graduating students to be hopeful of a brighter future. He however noted that graduating from a-category class into a higher level of education is a big achievement and so, must not be taken for granted. “What is more critical is that your graduation today sets a new beginning for your future and gives you that opportunity to decide where that future lies” he stressed. The FBN Holdings Boss while charging the graduands to create a list of what and who they want to be tomorrow from today, he said: “Be friends with people who are diligent and with a flair for excellence. The future you want to create will be realised only when you are constantly focused on your ambitious goals, notwithstanding obstacles/challenges you will come across. Make the challenges springboards to reaching the future you envisage. The problems that did not make you should never break you, except you surrender to them. Never let your environment define you or your future. To realise the future you dream of, you must be ready to lead yourself by being diligent, disciplined, focused, constantly updating your knowledge, and hold yourself to high moral standards and principles”
Remi BabalolaOn the need to be relevant in the academic world, Remi reiterated the need for them to read extensively as readers are leaders while they look for true role models. “Select enviable role models. Get to know about their secrets to their success in life. That way, you will not have to make the same mistakes they made growing up. Also, you will be able to fast track your success by learning and adapting the positive traits in them. Have the courage to always do the right thing and I promise you; success will follow you. Your success starts from how your mind is wired. Never let your mind be wired by what you see around you. Rather, dream excellence and greatness. Then work towards achieving excellence; work towards achieving greatness .Be one of the world champions by being the best at everything you do” He asserted.
On his part, Rev. Fr. Tobias Ihejirika, CSR, the head of the School noted that, the laudable achievement of the School is as a result of synergy among staff, students and all sundry in the last five years. “All the successes recorded are our collective successes while I take full responsibility for all the mistakes and failures. I am sure that by the special grace of God, we shall do better in future”
The Roman Catholic Priest attested to the fact, that the new graduands comported themselves and imbibed the culture of good character and learning. “Beginning with their sense of purpose and discipline, most of the students we had this year did not give us concerns. They were well groomed from their homes, always obedient, neat and civil, hence a few isolated cases. We had a wonderful set of students who were ready to work and who knew why they came to the 16Plus School. No wonder most of them were very intelligent and studious in all ramifications. I want to thank them for making our difficult tasks easier by their dispositions and also to thank their parents for a job well-done”
Mrs. Ivie Okpanachi, Director, 16 Plus School and her address
Mrs. Ivie Okpanachi, a banker, turned educationist, who gave detail insights of what the School has done and what they will continue to do reassured that, the School is prepared for the task ahead and also used the medium to highlight major achievements and programmes of the School: A in Chemistry at the October diet of the Cambridge A levels, A to C grades at The Advanced Subsidiary level, 1480/1600 in SAT, 100/120 in TOEFL, 8/9 in IELTS and 100 per cent pass in Canadian and UK Foundation programmes.
Mrs. Okpanachi
Our graduates also have become global players who are making an impact in their various schools. For instance, Nebechi Okpala of the 2018 class just graduated from Georgia State University with a Summa cum Laude in Neuroscience and made the President’s List for the class of 2021. As we congratulate this worthy ambassador, we, as an institution, are proud to be associated with this success story. Most importantly, our graduands heading to universities outside Nigeria have received and accepted offers to their first choice universities and careers.
It is of worthy of note since inception and with the current class, is the progression of our students to Universities in the UK (Imperial College, Manchester, Birmingham, Reading, Kent, Coventry, Hertfordshire); US (Purdue, George Washington, Illinois, Howard, Georgia Technology, Hollins, Rochester, to mention a few). The majority of the students this year are heading to Universities in Canada, specifically Calgary, Brock, Ontario Technology, Manitoba, Trent, Carleton, Memorial New Foundland, Mic Master and Simon Fraser. Good numbers have received sizeable scholarships and discounts to reduce the financial burden on their parents. For students heading to Nigerian universities, their admission process will hopefully be concluded after the release of the 2021 UTME results, and the Cambridge A’level results by August 2021.
This year is the approval of our school as an attached centre of the British Council for Cambridge Examinations in Nigeria. This happened after a rigorous process of inspection of our facilities and intensive oral interview of key members of staff. We believe this will further improve our performance, as it comes with direct access to all Cambridge Schools learning support and resources. Some of the students who spoke at the valedictory ceremony include, Morayo Timothy and Timilehin Ishola, the duo expressed satisfaction, stating that, consistency. Discipline, and increase in one’s capacity will bring dream fulfillment. “We will keep celebrating what we have accomplished and prepare for what is ahead” they added. Highlights of the ceremony which took place at the School Premises in Ilupeju, Lagos was the unveiling of the School’s Magazine, and awards to students
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