Story by Caroline Mayanga
Sitting at this desk and penning down the memories of my two year A- level journey at Maru-a-Pula School, I cannot help but smile. My mouth opens wide to reach my ears due happiness. I even manage to stifle a tear as I recall how it all came to pass. Two years ago I was happy because I was going to school, but now as I leave, I am gladder because Maru-a-Pula did not only cater for my academic needs but also for my development as a well-rounded student.
I had the opportunity to engage in different activities in school. Under the Medical Corps Service, I managed to attend a first aid course and offer first aid to athletes at Netball and Cricket matches on and off campus. I was a member of the Big Sisters program where I was assigned a mentee to coach and mentor. As a Big Sister, I also had the opportunity to meet many new people and take part in welcoming events of new students to MaP. This helped me share my experience and encourage others. I was given a platform to share my personal experiences and motivate the listener. This helped boost my confidence as a speaker.
At MaP, I enjoyed the weekly assemblies with the principal Mr. Andrew Taylor. His speeches were always relevant to the current affairs of the time. They were thought-provoking and left me thinking about the subject topic for weeks and months to come. We had a class discussion every cycle with our Director, Mr. Laverick. This way I could listen to the opinions of my peers and understand their point of view and what shapes their values. This helped me become a more open and understanding person.
In spite of all the many activities I found myself involved in, I never forgot the primary reason why I was at MaP. I learnt new study skills from my new friends which I found more productive and I adjusted my study schedule accordingly. I was thus able to manage my time very well and keep up with my school work while at the same time focusing on the people around me and doing my best to give back to the community. A culture of community service was developed in me and I found myself volunteering at several cancer awareness campaigns and blood donation.
My highlight was when I climbed Kgale Hill for the first time. It was probably the most difficult excursion I have undergone. Seeing the people, I was climbing with sweating profusely and still trudging on, I found the courage to soldier on with my hurting soles. After a gruesome climb, I reached the peak. The view at the top was breathtaking. The climb was not easy but the view at the top was worth it. I applied the same principle to my academics. As difficult as some of the concepts were, I knew the end would be worth it.
The day the results were set to be released came only too soon. As I typed in my username and password my mind was blank. I hoped I had done well, the course had not been easy and thoughts of ‘Was my effort enough?’ filled my mind. I could not believe my eyes when I saw my results of 3A*s in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. Words still fail to articulate how I felt at that moment. To this day I can only smile in response to the question ‘How did you feel?’
I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who helped make this experience possible: my parents and siblings for always supporting me, Mrs Healy (Director of Skillshare International Botswana) for tirelessly helping me out with my applications, Maru-a-Pula School for the A-Level Scholarship and to my beloved teachers who became my parents away from home. To God, I am eternally grateful. My dream of becoming a medical doctor looks more achievable now than it did three years ago.