Tell your story #20: Shoot for the Sky or Die Trying

Welcome, ladies.

Something interesting happened during my first year at the university. Our results had just been published on the notice board. Several students clustered around to see what they had scored in each course. Some came to compare their grades with their mates.

This particular student walked up to where I was standing. Then she traced her name with her fingers. Found it and muttered D. I believed she must have pursed her lips after saying this.

Then she moved on to the next result and I could hear her say C. At this point, I became interested. Slowly, I watched her continue the process, searching each A4 paper that contained our results before leaving as abruptly as she came. Concerned, I checked out her name and I could picture what the issue was. It remained on my mind while I marched back to class.

* * *
The next semester when the results were published, I raced back to the notice board. This time, not only to check my own result but to check out that of my friends as they had requested that I send them a photo of theirs. That was how I saw an A of 84.

Curiosity got the better part of me. Immediately, I rushed to check the genius who smashed this score. In my time, it was common to see students having mostly A’s of 70 or 71. Anything more than this meant you did not get that grade by accident. It also meant that you had read enough to beat the marking scheme.

I discovered the ‘genius’ was the girl from last semester. As a typical Nigerian undergraduate, I put on my spy cap. The girl's grades were nothing less than A's.

If anyone had told me that the lady could hit 5.0 GPA, I'd ask to be given extra assurance. But when she narrated to freshers some years later how she had vowed to herself that day to either shoot for the sky or die trying, it all began to make a lot of sense.

Truly, her success inspired so many students to aim for excellence, including myself. That single experience taught be the following lessons:

1. Never underestimate yourself: Some people are quick to judge or write themselves off after making mistakes. However, this is a cue that your mistakes do not define you. Be encouraged to painstakingly rewrite that story into something positive.
2. Everyone is created equal: No one was created to fail or succeed. Everyone was created to compete and win. It is your responsibility to find ways to excel because, of course, you have all you need to “make it.”
3. It is in you! If you believe it, and you act it, then you can become it.

The girl moved from a 2.2 to a strong 2.1 in only one semester. You too can shoot for the sky.

Special thanks goes to @ruthjoe for this interesting content. Special invitation to @yhudy, @bela90, @chiomzy810 and @rossnenye.