By Sainey Darboe Former head boy of Nusrat Senior Secondary School, Ahmad Gitteh, earlier today urged graduating students of his former school to prepare themselves to embrace the plethora of opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of them after high school. His words: “I feel deeply honoured and humbled to stand before you today as guest speaker of this year’s graduation ceremony. As a product of this great academic powerhouse, what more could I ask for? Truth be told, Nusrat Senior Secondary does boast of the proudest alumni as far secondary education is concerned in this country. Today, men and women like me; in fact those with more distinguished track records moulded by this great school, can be found in every nook and cranny of the world. 

Ahmad Gitteh speaking at Nusrat Sen.Sec. School 

“The topic EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN is simply fitting given that these energetic young men and women seated here are just on the cusp of parting company with a school that has given them a lot. This is indeed a defining moment for all of you as you prepare for the next phase of your lives- the journey into the unknown. Brothers and sisters, what then is the UNKNOWN that you are now primed to EXPLORE? Is it a bed of roses? Is it the land of honey and milk, is it the Western Eldorado? Or is going to be that land where we expect manna from heaven, that edible substance handed down to the Israelites by God during their travels in the desert in the forty-year following the exodus and prior to the conquest of Canaan?” The Canada based engineering student and influential UDP political hack added: “As you prepare for destination unknown, these are the sort of the questions you must be asking yourselves. As the saying goes, ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’. “Master of ceremonies, distinguished guests, parents, guardians and other care givers, allow me to remind the graduands that the unknown territory they are about to explore is by and large cruel, harsh, unforgiving, unsympathetic and full of disappointments”. He maintained: “Since I will be harsh myself if I fail to recognize the flip side of the coin, let me equally bring to your attention that the life that lies in wait for you can also be very beautiful and adventurous. It can be a gold mine ,but if only you are able to tap into the huge potentials that life after school offers in abundance.Sadly however, not every one that completes high school can realize the treasure trove of opportunities that this world has to offer. Often times, perhaps driven by their youthful exuberance and the belief that time is on their side, most school leavers tend to indulge in merry making, leisure and other pleasure seeking activities that only breed laziness, thereby serving as recipe for backwardness and underdevelopment”. Mr Gitteh expressed confidence in the process of education and preparation for life the students received over the course of three years, noting: “Let me put it to you that at your age and given the sort of knowledge and wisdom imparted to you by principal Bojang and team, the world is your oyster.Being the citadel of knowledge that it has ever been, I have no shadow of doubt that this great school has armed you with all the tools and the mindset to succeed even where success appears to be a remote possibility. As you formally leave the gates of fortress Nusrat, you must take cognizance of the fact that learning never stops- that you must always seek knowledge. Remember the words of Nelson Mandela when he said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can used to change the world. “Strive for excellence and never settle for anything that is below par or sub-standard, explore new opportunities, never assume that you know it all, for no one in this world can claim monopoly over any body of knowledge. As you prepare for this next unknown chapter of your lives, always observe those beautiful signposts of life: honesty, diligence, integrity, respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, patriotism and be agents of positive change”. He concluded: “On equal measure, turn your back on anything that will put your credibility into question, say no to greed and corruption at all times and never indulge in anything that will destroy the social fabric of the fatherland. In conclusion, let me give you these words of wisdom from the fabled English writer William Shakespeare as my parting shot to you the graduands: “Life is like a play- we merely go through the stages of our life acting out.” So brothers and sisters, from here the stage has been set for you. Go explore that world of the unknown. Go do yourself proud. Make your family and Nusrat proud. Go out there and do wonders. We know you can do it”.