The picture above is myself @Giftakpan after my Three years of successful study of Medical Laboratory Science

This is my official entry into the Writing contest organized by @Celfmagazine as published 4 days ago by @Sndbox.

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THEME: DETERMINATION

TOPIC: How the Fatherless became a Graduate

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How excited I am to make this post to tell people around the world that “Determination is the key to success”. If one is not determined in life, then you cannot or will not succeed. Determination means trying to do what seems difficult and this can be achieved with your belief that it can be possible, then you put in more effort into doing them.

According to The Collinsdictionary:

Determination is the quality that you show when you have decided to do something and you will not let anything stop you.

I had an experience in 2009 when I had difficulty struggling to achieve success after I lost my dad. Life seemed too hard that I almost gave up on myself, my existence and also my education. I felt I will not make it because no one was there to help me. That feelings came because I never made any determination that I could make it despite what I was going through. That is to say, we should not have negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, one should always determine to make it despite any situation around.

I always felt bad sitting among my colleagues when they boast about their fathers' promises to send them to study in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad. All I do was wept and concluded that mine was to start up a petty business that will help me take care of my family, being the first child. Encouragement came from friends and loved ones but I was never convinced I could make it in life. So I kept struggling with the defeats inside of me. All these happened because I never believed I could make it even without a father.

After some months my mum asked me to get a form for entrance into the tertiary institution and luckily I made it. I wrote my Aptitude test had an admission to study Medicine and Surgery but my Senior Secondary Examination (SSE) result was bad. Some sets of people came to me and said that because of my result I will not be admitted to school. So I saw myself being discouraged again. I called myself a failure and vowed not to attempt education again.
These determination not to attempt education again set in because I allowed people to discourage me and to me I only believed what people said to me saying I won’t be admitted and I believed instead of trying to see what I could do to make my admission possible. So we should not allow people to discourage us. So because of that I took another step.

In 2012, I had to leave to Port-Harcourt in search of greener pastures, possibly of being a housemaid. There, I suffered pains, distress, agony, beatings from the hands of my mistress until a certain day when I decided to leave the house back home. These happened because I made up my mind at this point to stop suffering and to put in more effort to make what seems difficult in my life possible.

I went home, sat down and took a step to ensure success in life that was how I got a form to study Medical Laboratory Science in the School of Health Technology in 2015. Though I was still having mixed feelings if i will make it or not but with much encouragement and me putting in more effort and believing that I will make it. To God be the glory, I had an admission in my choice of course and am now excited to tell the world that have successfully completed my study in school.

Determination brought this success to me. If I had not made up my mind to forge ahead amidst the hurdles and the storms I went through, I won’t be having a story to tell. These should encourage readers to know that Determination is the key to success. Any situation you may find yourself just be determined to make it, try as much as possible to put in more effort to make things that seems impossible possible.

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Thanks to @Sndbox and @Celfmagazine for availing me the opportunity to participate in this contest.

You can also join the Writing contest here

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Thank you for your time. Please feel free to share your lessons and testimonies as comments

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