Saturday, June 8 was a day of celebration at the Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Ogun State, as the school rolled out the drums to celebrate its students that graduated last session.
The event was the 2019 graduation and valedictory service, which was held on the school premises.
In her welcome address, the principal, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola, praised the 66 students for their accomplishments.
“You have been a talented, hardworking and well-behaved class. I am proud to have been your principal,” she said.
She enthused further: “This class has demonstrated a propensity to succeed on the biggest of stages. They produced outstanding results in the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). Two of them – Anna Adobamen and Shalom Emeka – obtained A-Stars in all the subjects they registered for. They also have imposing Standardised Aptitude Test (SAT) results. Two of the students got the second best SAT result in the world and the best in the country, scoring 1,550 out of 1,600.
“Some of them scored above 300 in the recently released Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result. The Class of 2019 had a strong representation in a group of students that won the Global Business Plan Award, which had over 9,000 schools across the globe contesting. They have exhibited a commitment to the values and culture upon which everything in Corona School is predicated.”
She said the event’s theme, “Excellence As a Culture,” was at the very heart of the school’s essence, noting that excellence was at the head of Corona’s core values.
Guest speaker and chairman of the board of trustees, Supreme Education Foundation, Mr. Peter Bankole, admonished the former pupils to uphold the spirit of excellence in their current and future endeavours.
Said he: “For me, the preparation that you have gone through here is a foundation of how a life that is worthy starts. The theme for this graduation is very apt. Excellence is not something that happens. It is something you plan for, and you do in a very meticulous way. And when you do it consistently, it then becomes a culture. And once excellence becomes a culture, it is very difficult for you to see mediocrity and associate with it. Everything you do, even in your personal life, would be different. But it is a commitment much more than something else. And I can only admonish you to keep the excellent flag flying as you depart from here today into the rest of your bright futures.”
Various categories of awards and endowments were later presented to some outstanding 2019 graduands by the school as well as professional bodies, parents and individuals. While the head boy and head girl of the set, Chidindu Okpaleke and Chizoma Duru, both earned the service award, special wards and endowments in various subjects were presented to Chibuike Udenta, Shalom Emeka, Nneka Okolo, Chizoma Duru, Raqeem Kukoyi, Memunat Abiru, Adobamen, Mercy Ipinmoye, Abimbola Akala, Nzubechukwu Okoye, Daniel Ihekweme, and Oluwaseyitafe Ajayi.
Duru bagged four of the eight special awards, while Ipinmoye got seven endowment funds.
Emeka, Adobamen and Abiru emerged the best three graduands. Emeka had 91.39 per cent and was crowned the valedictorian, Adobamen got 89.67 per cent to become the salutatorian, and Abiru earned 88.78 per cent to emerge the third best overall graduand.
In a chat with journalists, Emeka, who plans to study product design engineering in the United Kingdom, said the school system helped her subdue her initial challenges.
“The school has impacted my life. I was not this brilliant in my primary school, but the moment I entered this school, that excellent spirit wrapped me up, and here we are today. The school has been such a lovely community, with a very supportive teaching and non-teaching staff,” she said.
Also, Adobamen praised the school and her parents for making her remain focused: “Outside of academics, the school made me very confident in myself. I have learnt how to manage time, and always pursue excellence in all I do. I will soon be moving over to the United States to study electrical engineering.”
For Abiru, her journey through the school was quite exciting. She noted that the school helped her cope with pressure and stress.
“I love sports and music, and the school schedule helped me to manage my time more, so I could excel in other things. I will also be heading to the United States to study neuroscience,” she said.
Guests at the event included the CEO of Corona Schools’ Trust Council, Mrs. Adeyoyin Adesina, chairman, Parent-Teacher Association, Mr. Sola Falodun, Bankole, and chairman, Corona Secondary School Board, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, among others