When men were boys.... [Secondary school days]

I can vividly recall my first day at National High School Nung Atai Odobo Okobo; I was wondering if I would be able to cope with such an experience. I was admitted into the school in 2018 and finished in 2024, just last year. The impression I got was me seeing junior students being bullied by senior students. The junior students wore knickerbockers and pinniesfor male and female, respectively.

The junior students were cutting grasses while the senior students were supervising. The senior students, most of them, were flying their shirts as if they were going to a dinner night. All these things got me worried because my uniform was also short, meaning that I was going to also be cutting grass and being bullied by senior students. I also saw some students; they were very neat, their uniform was sparkling, and their haircut made me change my own style of hair. Funny, right?

My best subjects were math, English, and PHE. This was in my junior secondary. I loved these subjects because of the teacher that handled them. They teach with so much passion and commitment; this alone encouraged me to love their subjects. If I have any challenge, I will take it to them, and they won't hesitate to explain it to me. Talking of senior secondary, physics, biology, and mathematics were my best because in physics I could state laws and solve technical calculations; the same thing applied to mathematics.

I loved biology because I was able to name all the bones in the human body, such as the femur, phalanges, tibia, carpal, etc. But I had challenges with these subjects. As I progressed, some topics became complicated, topics like calculus in mathematics, waves in physics, and ecology in biology.

But I was able to overcome them through attending private lessons with great tutors outside the school. I remembered what my English teacher, Mrs. Emana, told us, and I quote, "We are not going to give you people 100% of what you're expecting." This statement rang a bell in my head, so that alone triggered me to look beyond the classroom.

I didn’t have too many friends, though most of my classmates wanted me to be their friend, but I didn't allow them to choose me; rather, I chose them. I had 2 female friends (Patience and Lucy) and 2 male friends (Kennedy and Wisdom). They all made school fun. I joined the band club and played drums during Children's Day, Independence Day, and Inter House sports.

I had hard times in my SS1 when I was offering chemistry and agricultural science. These two subjects bend me down to consciously read them after returning from school. Especially when I failed chemistry in my first term. I made a point of duty to read immediately after the teacher finished teaching; that was how I was able to smash those subjects.

It was time for me to say goodbye to secondary school. I was not happy because I was going to miss a lot of people. Say goodbye to classmates. The excitement and the sadness of graduation, but I had no alternative other than to accept my fate.

Closing a chapter of a book is equivalent to leaving my secondary school, which I will always cherish. It wasn't easy to complete 6 years; it wasn't only about books and classrooms. I found confidence and the courage to dream big. To those still in secondary school, I urge you all to take your studies seriously and leave the rest to God.

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