adminTHE just held prize-giving day at Nyamauru High School in Dangamvura will go down in the school’s history as a memorable one after a Form Four student scooped 10 prizes of academic excellence, much to the awe of those who attended the ceremony. The Manica Post Correspondent Mercy Ngwebvu (MN) caught up with the whiz kid, Yelly Kaminyu (YK), and managed to have an interview with her concerning her success in school:
MN: Congratulations on your success.
YK: I am humbled. God has been very faithful to me.
MN: How do you feel about the success?
YK: I am exhilarated because I managed to achieve my goal of scooping 10 prizes before leaving Nyamauru High School. I am also thrilled by the fact that for the first time in our school’s history, the orator-of-the-year prize was scooped by an ‘O’ Level student and it is something to be proud of. I feel I am a trailblazer who has just set a pace for those who will come after me.
MN: Which subjects did you scoop the top accolades?
YK: I got prizes for Literature in English, English Language, Biology, History, Integrated Science, Geography, Bible Knowledge and Food and Nutrition. I also got a prize for Debate and Public Speaking, where I was rated orator of the year. I also scooped the best student award, to make them 10 prizes all in all.
MN: That must have taken a lot of hard work and study time. So how much time do you devote to your studies?
YK: I want to honestly say that I do not study when I get home. All I do is pay attention in class as the teacher will be explaining various concepts and after that I will be home and dry. When school ends at 12, I go home and when I am at home, I will be doing other chores not sticking to books. The only time I go to my books is when I will be reading ahead before the lessons are carried out in class.
MN: Which one is your favourite subject?
YK: I love Literature in English. I believe in having an excellent command of the Queen’s language. The only thing that should make me black is my skin, nothing else . . .
MN: What does your success mean to you as a girl child?
YK: To me, it is a message to fellow students and people out there that the sky is the limit. It is largely held that when girls get to high school, they lose focus and start concentrating on boys. I am here to set the record straight that girls who have studies and academic excellence in mind are still there and I am among them. Being a girl child is no limitation to success; rather it is an opportunity to soar to greater heights because there is a lot of advocacy for the girl-child going on in the country and even in Africa at large.
MN: Have you faced any challenges regarding your success in school? If yes, what are they?
YK: The only challenge I have faced was being labelled a satanist by some students at my school. They would say the brains I use are not mine because I did not take extra time to study nor join study groups. According to them I was using some higher power to excel. This, however, is not true. My intelligence is God bestowed. The satanism allegations affected me so much that I became a loner. Fellow students were now afraid to associate with me. Tough as it was, I figured out that what people said about me could not stop me from reaching my God-given destiny.
MN: What do you aspire to be when you finish school?
YK: I badly want to be a journalist and I hope to one day work with Aljazeera. I want to make a name for myself and I believe I will soar high in the field of journalism.
MN: Do you date?
YK: No, I don’t. I made a pledge to myself that I will only start dating after I finish my Advanced Level studies so that I would devote all my time to achieving the best grades.
Besides scooping the 10 prizes, Yelly has won various other accolades especially in Debate and Public Speaking.
She is set to choose a school of her choice for her Advanced Level education if she passes her O-Level examinations courtesy of a scholarship awarded to her by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Despite being unpopular, Nyamauru High School has bred quite a number of visionaries and exemplary leaders, among whom include the Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Supa Mandiwanzira, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nyanga North constituency.
Online Reporter