Mmesoma Okonkwo, a 17-year-old pupil who acquired the British Council’s Excellent Cambridge Learner’s Award (High within the World 2022 Cambridge Worldwide Normal Certificates in Secondary Schooling) for excellent efficiency in English as a Second Language, shares with FATTEH HAMID the thrill that adopted her achievement and aspiration.
He acquired the British Council’s Excellent Cambridge Learner’s Award after recording the best rating in English as a Second Language on the Cambridge IGCSE examination. What’s the story behind this?
My identify is Mmesoma Okonkwo. I’m from Anambra State. I presently stay in Lagos and am a pupil at Chrisland Excessive College, Victoria Backyard Metropolis. I’m in SS3 and about to complete my secondary training. I’m 17 years outdated.
I feel I completed this feat before everything, by the grace of God as a result of I imagine that irrespective of how a lot effort you set into one thing, solely God can deliver one thing as nice as this out (get the best rating). Apart from that, I feel I obtained a number of assist from my faculty and my lecturers, as a result of I bear in mind they had been very useful earlier than and once we had been taking the checks. They made certain to present us the best locations to check for the scholars who needed to take the exams on their very own. My pals had been additionally very supportive, particularly those who took the take a look at with me.
How did your mother and father assist you?
My mother and father additionally helped me as a result of they needed to cut back my homework to permit me to arrange extra for the examination. My faculty normally was an important setting for this take a look at as a result of they (administration) posted the outcomes of those that took the take a look at earlier than and seeing these outcomes and the way effectively they did subconsciously gave me the will to do my finest and I am glad that occurred on the finish of the day. In fact, regardless of all of the efforts made by my mother and father, lecturers and pals, I nonetheless needed to do the principle work alone.
How did you do this?
One vital factor was studying all of the earlier questions and searching on the sample of the questions, making an attempt to grasp them and I feel this helped rather a lot.
Did you count on to be named the most effective whereas making ready for the examination?
I did not precisely count on to be named the most effective on the earth and that was as a result of I did not know that the British Council awards such awards, however once I took the examination I used to be aiming excessive. I used to be making an attempt to realize one thing through the take a look at, making an attempt to get a excessive rating to make myself proud, God proud, and my faculty and members of the family proud. However then once more, I wasn’t precisely stunned once I acquired the award as a result of it felt like one thing I had labored so laborious for and I used to be so grateful to God for it.
How did you are feeling once you acquired the information of your award?
Naturally, I used to be very excited to listen to about it from my examination proctor on the time. Only a week in the past she advised me that she did not need to point out the title of the award as a result of she needed to maintain the shock. So once I arrived on the British Council on the day of the ceremony, I used to be stunned to listen to that that is what I gained. I felt excited; I used to be very pleased and it made me really feel superb about all of the work I had put in over the previous few months, all of the work my lecturers did and most significantly my mother and father. All of the efforts paid off on the finish of the day. So, it felt nice.
What do you intend to do after this wonderful feat?
I hope to construct rather a lot on this. I will college quickly and can use this to check wherever, in all probability within the UK and US, as a result of I am certain this award can be nice. So, I plan to make use of this to get the place I can, to continue learning, continue to grow, and preserve elevating myself as a person by way of training.
How did your mother and father really feel after they acquired the information?
I can solely think about that my mother and father had been very excited after they heard the information. I feel they discovered the time I did it, perhaps my educator talked about it to them on the cellphone and the day we obtained to the British Council, they discovered too. They smiled and it was an important feeling. I am certain they had been very pleased with themselves and me as a result of they put rather a lot into this examination as effectively. In actual fact, they labored as laborious as I did in supporting me all through the time period, and with out their assist, I’d have felt a bit discouraged from going by way of with this examination. It was superb that they had been there and so they had been delighted.
How do you examine?
I learn early within the morning as a result of that is when my mind is lively and I am most open to every little thing I learn. I stay in a really busy home and have 5 different siblings, after which my mother and father, so it will get a bit louder. Nonetheless, within the morning when somebody is barely awake, I can actually quietly focus and go over my materials. It is fairly quicker and good in comparison with when I attempt to learn at night time. That is what I do. I additionally love to do lively studying and never simply assessment the fabric. I prefer to internalize correctly so I haven’t got to return to it.
What are your life ambitions?
It is persevering with to develop on the bigger scale and seeing what I can use that progress to do within the lives of the individuals round me and folks normally, particularly girls as a result of they do not have many alternatives to thrive and succeed within the trendy world and they’re alleged to. So, I would prefer to continue to grow, studying new issues and seeing the place that takes me on the earth and utilizing that affect, hopefully.
What do you assume to check within the college?
I plan to check Enterprise Administration at school and I need to examine it as a result of I really feel that it’s one thing that I’m captivated with and one thing that I do very effectively at. I additionally assume it is one thing that is extra versatile as a result of in a world the place you need to take into consideration the consequences of synthetic intelligence taking jobs away from individuals. So, I need to do one thing extra versatile and it additionally helps to be captivated with it. I feel enterprise administration can be one thing that fits me.
Have you ever all the time been a topper in school?
I held my very own at school. I acquired many awards in school and did very effectively in my exams. I will not say that I all the time got here first, however I do know that I’ve all the time performed effectively at school.
Do you will have a mentor and the way had been you influenced by him?
I can’t say that I’ve a particular mentor. My mentors are the individuals round me normally and I discover methods to attract issues that encourage me, issues I feel I ought to soak up and the traits that may improve me as an individual. I’m impressed by my mother and father. I watch them on daily basis as a result of we stay collectively and I choose up issues like self-discipline and dedication from them that I want to imbibe. In school, I like the way in which my principal motivates and drives individuals.
What do you assume you are able to do to enhance your self?
Though I’ll go on to school and be taught extra concerning the world, it will not essentially be simply in a tutorial sense. I can enhance by assembly new individuals, studying new issues, and plenty of different issues that I would not have skilled in any other case.