Corona Secondary School Graduates Outstanding Set of 2022
As the 2022 graduands of Corona Secondary School, Agbara took their hats off on July 2, 2022, with a focus on developing the right attitudes, which coincidentally is the theme of this year’s ceremony, ‘Focus: An Attitude for Continuous Growth’, Sunday Ehigiator reports that the occasion was nothing short of a display of excellence, brilliance, gratitude and hope for a brighter future
With full cognisance of their most valuable prowess, not just in character and learning, but in friendship and empathy, the set of 2022 took ownership of their accomplishments with the pride of an accomplished jockey set to defend another race as they mount the stage one after another, to receive their well-deserving school-leaving testimonial and respective individual awards of excellence.
Addressing the graduands, the chairman of the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Bello, represented by Prof. Martins Anetekhai, admonished them to maintain the good characters they have built over time at Corona and resist every temptation to be influenced wrongly by peers in higher institution.
She urged them to remain focused and harped on the need for a life strategic plan to be focused.
“For a student that is focused, you will be able to resist the pressure, keep your head straight, and flee from those vices that could truncate your future. Here at Corona, you are leaving and have been educated and well taught,” said Bello.
She added, “By the time you combine your knowledge with its application, I am sure you will be in the Dangote ranking. Nothing can stop you if you can apply your knowledge in every area of your life.”
The event’s high point was the presentation of awards to outstanding students and the announcement of the top three students of the set. Somtochukwu Ike, George Nnona and Toluwanimi Sonuga emerged as the valedictorian, salutatorian, and the third-best overall students of the 2022 set, respectively.
A further breakdown revealed that Ike finished top with 90 per cent, topped the set with six A-stars (scored above 90 marks) and one A (scored above 80 marks) in the 2021 International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), scored 321 over 400 marks in the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and scored 1400 marks in the Standardized (Scholastic) Aptitude Test (SAT).
Nnona, on the other hand, finished as the first runner-up of his set with 86 per cent, had 6A stars in IGCSE, scored 307 in UTME, and 1460 in SAT, while Sonuga finished as the set’s second runner-up, scored 315 in UTME, and 1330 in SAT, respectively.
Speaking with THISDAY on his wins, Ike said it took a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve the feat.
“It’s nice to be the valedictorian because when you work so hard for something, and you get it at the end, it feels so satisfying,” said Ike, whose immediate plan is to further his studies at Arizona State University and become a biomedical engineer in future. “It’s like all the work from the beginning, the extra reading, doing night preps, group reading etc., are all worth it in the end. I got all the awards and endowment, and I’m really happy about that.”
On what stood him out, he noted that hard work, a great relationship with his parents and support from them placed him at an advantage over his peers.
“My parents were also very supportive. They encouraged me to continue to work hard. The encouragement was also in the form of a reward system which always encouraged me to do better,” added Ike.
For Nnona, whose immediate plan is to study Software Engineering at Staffordshire University, said emergence as second overall best seemed to him like a dream.
“It feels unreal to be the overall second best student of my set and also being here today. I know I put in a lot of effort, stayed up countless nights, taught and also got knowledge from my peers and even my seniors that have left the school, but I’m only surprised that I managed to get this far and I’m really happy,” said Nnona. “At times when I say to myself that I couldn’t do it, they reassure me that I could do it and thank God I made it this far.”
Sonuga acknowledged the mixed emotions amid the accomplishments.
“This is my last moment in Corona, I feel happy, sad, and nostalgic, but it’s all for the better. My parting word for Corona is to look out for us in future, and a big thank you to Corona for showing us the right path to follow,” explained Sonuga. “I feel very happy because I deserve it. I work hard for it. I’m glad that I’m getting rewarded for all my hard work. My parents ensured that I had the necessary time I required to read and understand, even when it meant that I had no time for other things. My immediate plan is to study law at Afe Babalola University.”
The principal of the school, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola, noted that with focus, the students would know how to deal with distractions and keep their eyes on the ball.
“I hope they continue to keep their eyes on the ball. And as I will always say, you are never able to score a goal until you take a shot. It’s always a delightful pleasure to graduate students. Six years of trying to mould children, and you see them so accomplished,” said Oluwadamilola. “When they read their citations, you wonder how they were able to accomplish all these in just six years. And these are brief citations because you can’t read everything that they have accomplished.”
Acknowledging parents’ support, the principal stated it went a long way for the students’ academic success.
“These are children that we are raising to excel in learning and character. Not just in learning but also in character because that is very important to us. In a world where everything is in a fluid stage, there is no absolute anymore,” Oluwadamilola added.
Speaking on the school’s recent achievements, Oluwadamilola said nine students met the requirements of the ACCA Foundation Programme, making Corona Secondary School (CSS) the first and only secondary school in Nigeria whose students (now 27) have fully qualified for the ACCA Foundations.
She equally revealed that six students out of seven CSS students that took the IELTS examination scored between 6.5 and 8.0, 13 students scored a perfect score of 6.0 in mathematics at the 2022 Cambridge checkpoint examination, and six students scored 300 and above with the highest score of 321 at the 2022 UTME, while 28 students scored between 250 and 279.
Among other achievements of the school, Oluwadamilola added that CSS students got an average score of 1112 in SAT, with the highest score being 1460 out of a possible 1600, as against the benchmark of 1010.
She, therefore, admonished the fresh graduands to be steadfast in their studies and imbibe the act of discipline as they begin another phase of their lives.
The event ended with a mix of pleasure, gratitude and emotions as the outgoing students bid farewell to other students and the management of the school whom they will be leaving behind for the final time.
