Imo State government has lauded the Class of 81, Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State for organising 2023 STAR Awards.
It is a flagship initiative of the old students’ association of the school.
It urged other public-spirited individuals and groups to emulate them by empowering students.
Making the commendation at the just-ended 2023 STAR Awards which held recently at the Government Secondary School Owerri premises, was the commissioner of education, Prof. Johncliff Chike Nwadike. The commissioner was represented by Mrs. Augustine Azubuike, who lauded the class of 81, Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State for organising the 2023 STAR Awards.
Azubuike, who praised the alumni, said, “Your passion for fostering shared prosperity in your alma mater is exemplary and commendable.’
She applauded the Class of 81 for sustaining its commitment to hold the STAR Awards, annually over a stretch of three years.
She said the annual STAR Awards has fostered an environment for learning and development through curriculum development in collaboration with the government and other stakeholder group.
“We have received loads of positive feedback from parents and teachers alike at the Ministry about the impact of your intervention, we hope you will continue to sustain the legacy you hope to bequeath.”
Earlier, Emeka Mba, the chairman of the STAR project committee, who unveiled the project’s milestones, said it is aimed at equipping the students with core values in leadership, digital skills that seeks to onboard the new generation of innovative disruptors in technological development, ignite among the students, an entrepreneurial, agile and growth mindset’.
“Since the inception of the campaign, over 780 participants have benefitted from the programme’s high level advocacy on human capital development; 58 students benefitted from the reward and recognition award through book cash awards, 150 Students benefited from the career-transforming coaching and mentorship.’
Mba acknowledged the collaborative support by MTN Foundation, First City Monument Bank amongst others, whilst calling for increased partnership to scale the impact of the initiative.
In an opening remark, the 81 Alumni Class Captain Iyke Ezeji acknowledged the support by industry and the alumni towards the realization of the project. He admonished the graduating students and those in school to cultivate the can-do spirit mindset. He said, ‘Set SMART goals backed up with hard work, you will find in the palm of your hand, enormous possibilities waiting to be tapped into”
The initiative which was launched in 2021 by the class of 81 to bridge the skills gap among students of the institution through secondary and tertiary levels of education, seeks to equip students with industry-relevant skills to enhance their global competitiveness.
Another highlight of the programme was the interactive panel of discussion, at which the mentees of the program by introspection, revealed what they have gained during the career mentorship boot camp. “Through the program’s digital skill training on web design, I see an opportunity for livelihood support as I could develop some apps for companies for a fee,” Aka Jidechi said
Other panelist, Austin Wilson Best also shared the following insights: ‘We have come to realize that we are all leaders without title. We learnt about setting SMART goals, active listening skills and values in leadership to shape human conduct.”
