Liberia: “Remain Focused”

The graduates of the Class of 2023 of the Effort Baptist Church School (EBCS) have been urged to remain focused if they are to be successful in their life endeavors. The graduates were told to also acknowledge God and put Him first in everything that they do.

“Work hard and never lose focus. You must also acknowledge God in everything you do. He will guard you alone the way,” Senior Manager of Arcelormittal Liberia, Samuel Stevquoah, said in his keynote address at the 2023 commencement convocation of the school over the weekend. “These are the little things you must do in order to succeed in this life.”

Graduating from high school, he said, is the beginning of a long academic sojourn. “I hope you will continue to seek knowledge and also remember your alma mater, your teachers. You need to keep at the back of your heads the sacrifices your parents have made for you and what the church has taught them,” he said.

“The church has taught you that even when you leave from here, you don’t know what tomorrow will hold, but the fact is that you know who holds tomorrow,” he said. “I’m sure if you will hold steadfast to the Master’s hand, the one who knows tomorrow, and you listen to what your parents have taught you and also what your administrators and teachers have instilled in you, you will not go wrong.

“Let your journey from here be filled with success and happiness,” he added. “I wish you the fulfillment of your journey in Jesus name; may your future be bright and filled with joy; and take God with you in everything you do.”

Stevquoah also told the graduates to stand up for Jesus, be soldiers of the cross, and not go wrong.

Abraham N. Swaray, a graduate, acknowledged parents, family members, teachers, administrators, and the hardworking staff of EBCS for guiding them through a great adventure.

According to him, they have all had a profound impact on their development as students, and they are going to be fruitful and beneficial to Liberia.

He also extended heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the school administration led by Ms. Neda Z. Herron, appreciating them for the discipline and guidance to making the rightful decisions in many situations.

Swaray told his fellow graduates that graduation is just the beginning of their educational journey.

He also revealed that life is a journey, and all accomplishments they have achieved during its course should be taken as a starting point for further achievement.

He explained that the day serves as a launching pad projecting them to the future.

Gloria L. Nyango, the class valedictorian, told her fellow graduates that the graduation is a celebration of the closure of their high school career and the start of their future.

According to her, when venturing out of the walls of high school, they should take into consideration the need to not stop because there is a bigger world that awaits them, for which they need to be ready in order to achieve what is within it.

In addition, student Nyango said that as they stand on the verge of adulthood, they must remember that graduating from high school is just the beginning of an amazing journey for them.

“Our teachers’ efforts have taught us many valuable lessons both inside and outside the classroom,” she said. “We have learned the importance of being resilient in the face of adversity, the power of collaboration, and the significance of kindness and empathy.”

She urged her fellow graduates to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success and remember that a setback is just a setup for a comeback.