By I was at the office of the HOD at the Department of English in a fast-growing private university in Ibadan last week when a young man walked into the office.
He had come for his clearance in preparation for his convocation ceremony that would be held that week.
He was in another department, but the HOD of this department had been a great influence on him.
He had good news for her; he came to tell her he finished with a Second Class Upper! She was excited! You would think it was her result.
Journey of a Student’s Transformation
Source: ChatGPT
But then, I got to know the reason for her excitement. The young man was an unserious boy. At some points, he was distracted by unnecessary things. His grades were low and he wasn’t doing well. This HOD was interested in him and she ‘sat on his matter’ until he changed. Eventually, he finished with an Upper Credit.
Before the boy left the office, he kept thanking the HOD. He said, “Thank you for not giving up on me, ma.” I was emotional; I felt like crying.
Yes, sometimes we want to give up on certain students or children because it appears our efforts are not yielding any fruit. We get tired of putting in so much effort without tangible results.
Recently, I felt like giving up on mentoring but, then, I can’t. It’s a calling. I can’t give up.
Are you tired too? Please, do not give up. Encourage that child. Mentor those young people. Push them to be the best. Mould them to be great; you will never regret you did.
