Life itself on a daily basis comes with different events to be told about the next day. This is non-fictional but rather captures series of salient events of my life which I would love to share parts.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it's such a privilege and utmost pleasure to be here to share my true life story with you.
My name is Owoedinyene Thomas. I am from Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, here in Akwa Ibom State. I am emanating from a family of 8 (3 boys, 5 girls).
My parent (my mom) believes in raising children with good home training and inspiring love for the things of the Lord.
Today, I would love to take you briefly through my academic process and career.
Interesting right? Ok! Let's get to it.
As we all know of how much important formal education is in the life of every child, I am fortunate to have had a parent who understood this quite on time.
I started with a particular nursery school in my home town. My first day at school, I can still vividly remember it: it wasn't funny at all. "The rest is history", they say!
For no reasons, along my early classes, I left on my own and joined the nearby Government Primary School which was just indirectly opposite to my first school.
I started there in Primary 3. It wasn't easy to get along, but with time, I caught up.
By the special grace of God, before I finished the Primary School in 2008, I was averagely intellectually sound: I was able to read and write, express myself and to add to it, I was able to read and write Ibibio compared to my counterparts in Nursery Schools who didn't have such added advantage then.
The next academic session, I got enrolled in the secondary school I attended (Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo).
Junior secondary was cool. I didn't do bad at all. My SS1 and first term SS2 was cool too!
Here comes where the big problem began: I call it MY ACADEMIC STRUGGLE AND BREAKTHROUGH.
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All my life, I had always wanted to read ENGLISH AND LITERATURE.
I lived and dreamt of it always during then.
I never thought of being a Science Student.
The whole story line changed when the time for us to be given posts as prefects; I was good academically, no doubts. Many looked up on my for the position of Senior Prefect for Boys. A friend of mine convinced me that I can only get that if I am a science student.
I just changed my mind and preferred Science without thinking twice. Little did I know it was irrespective of the area of discipline.
From that day, I lost my focus as per what I would read as a course of study after graduation from secondary school.
I wouldn't say that Science was a bad area for me to choose. But Language was my passion. Well what had been had been, I manned up, did the best I could and finished up: God helped me, I passed my exams!
Time to write JAMB has come, Owo what would you read? I had no idea. I couldn't even place my head on something, not until on my way to registering for JAMB, I had conviction on reading BIOLOGY EDUCATION.
Wow! Funny right? To cut the whole story short, I did well in Biology Education which happened to be Science Course. In all of this, I didn't mention my struggles in Physics and Chemistry: the two subjects or courses I have always said that I can't even read them as courses for free!
Just a flash!
In my level 100 at the University, my mind got opened in English and my passion rekindled.
I started partnering with a colleague to organise JAMB classes for JAMBites.
I taught English and Biology. I realized that I was doing better than I could ever imagine.
Wow! Day after day, it kept on becoming amazing for me. Many times, students asked, "Sir do you have masters already in English?" Meanwhile, I was just a level 100 undergraduate.
As at my level 300, I had already started teaching English in renounced Secondary Schools. The performance was wow! I have supervised experts in Grammatical fields even before I graduated as Science Teacher.
During my NYSC, I was still teaching English. Coming back from service, I got my first teaching job in a private school, was still teaching english through the entire school.
In my present school, a very outstanding school with the children of elites and high standards, I am still teaching English and Ibibio.
Don't get carried away, I am not doing bad either in Biology which is my area of discipline.
This English has given me a lot of recommendations, it has taken me to place and I have sat with experts and yet, still measuring up.
What am I trying to say, no passion nor dream is too lost beyond recovery.
Mine was as if it was lost, but today, my experiences and Scopes are broadened.
I create contents based on how I am inspired.
What is that dream or passion that you have lost? Wake and recover it. It's not too late. I did!