Gloria Ikegbule
Forty students graduated from Pathway Connect educational program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints during the 2019 graduation ceremony.
The event held at the Church auditorium in Ikeja marked the third graduation exercise of the school since its inception in 2017.
Affiliated to Brigham Young University (BYU), United States, the program is geared towards giving students quality education and prepare them for self-reliant as well as better leaders in the society. It will also gives graduating students the opportunity to study degree courses of their choice at BYU. In 2018, the program was extended to non-members of the Church.
Addressing the student, Prof Joseph Igwe, a lecturer at the University of Lagos said the program erases students’ frustration of writing UTME and not getting admission. He said it also equips students with practical entrepreneurial, social and communication skills.
“In this country, people take UTME every year without gaining admission into the university. Only one-tenth get admitted because there are not enough spaces although they are qualified. This leads to frustration among the students. Anytime I think of students who cannot enter university I feel sad.
“There is no guarantee for a job with a university degree. In those days when you graduate, there is job available for you. This was because there were lots of jobs then. Today, there are many graduates than the jobs available. Universities are trying to teach entrepreneurship to graduates but those teaching them are not entrepreneurs themselves.
“A program like Pathway Connect takes away this frustration. It teaches superior knowledge, taking students through the acquisition of entrepreneurship, life, social, family and communication skills. Education is continuous; while rejoicing over what you have now, be thinking about the future. Success is dependent more on skills you have than certificates, ‘’ he pointed.
Elder. Christian Chigbundu, an Area Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said he is happy with his involvement in the introduction of the program and admonished the students to apply what they have been taught in the last one year.
His word: “Beyond classroom lessons, the students learn skill and how to be self-reliant. I implore the students to apply all they have been taught during the programme.”
Olakunle Emmanuel, one of the best graduating students in his valedictory speech reminded his fellow students that they made a good choice enrolling for the program.
Another graduating student, Mercy told newsmen that she doesn’t like online studies. She however pointed that doing the programme has opened her mind to education brushing up on knowledge she gathered in her undergraduate years.
Onifade Abosede, a non- member of the Church currently undergoing the programme added that the classes though interesting keep students on their toes.