Greetings board members, members of staff, parents, ladies and gentleman of Hilbright Science College.
It is believed that time is a constant, unaltered by emotion or circumstance yet one minute is an eternity when waiting for a lesson but passes in the blink of an eye when under pressure to finish an exam. During Galileo’s time, it was believed that the world was flat and anyone who dared to challenge this was shunned by society. Today, we know that the world is round and who knows? Time may not be a constant after all.
From this illustration, we learn that the world is governed by concepts that are universally agreed upon and therefore deemed to be correct by mankind, but more importantly we learn that nothing in this life is certain except for death. At first glance, this could be depressing but it is truly the beauty of life. Mystery makes life a constant adventure, one which strength and character is built or eroded by experience.
In this analogy my character and leadership are governed by :
- Respect and fear for authority
- Life is a product of your choices
- You only live once enjoy and cherish those around you
- Never compare yourself to anyone else nor measure by someone’s standards
A friend of mine once told me that there is nothing older than a graduating high school student yet nothing younger than a college student. So in my fleeting wizened state I think I’m ready to face the world. “Every student leaving Hilbright Science College is desired to be gracious, an exceptional companion and a capable leader with a sense of commitment and social responsibility.’’
To the graduating class of 2017, I charge you especially with the commitment to and the social responsibility for our nation. I challenge you and the working population of Zimbabwe. To take active responsibility for your nation’s economy in whatever way you can. The problem is leaving the remarkable things that you’ve dreamed of to be done by somebody you deem more appropriate for the job. You tell yourselves, who am I to make a difference when the question you should be asking is who am I not to try? If you dream of a better nation yet do nothing to its contribution. If you don’t follow your dreams someone will hire you to help built theirs. Don’t let reality stand in your way reach for the stars, if you fall you will land among the clouds.
To the ladies and gentleman of Hilbright Science College, it is a privilege to serve you as your Head boy. May you maintain the legacy and standards that were set by our predecessors not only academically but morally too. For gold in the hands of an unprincipled woman is as good as nothing. I’d like to extend my gratitude to God Almighty who from the time of my appointment as the Head boy to this very moment has guided and prospered my ways and has used me as an instrument of his love in this school.
I’d like to thank my teachers. Between all of them, Aristotle has nothing on their wisdom and philosophy on life which has moulded me and made me who I am today. The chaplaincy department has turned a lot of students including myself to revive into God fearing people this is when I also learnt that leaders are not there to command but they are there to serve people, and it says in the bible the fear of the lord is the beginning of all wisdom, this is why Hilbright is a constantly growing academic power house and we are slowly making our foot print around the world.
Sir Takunda Chikundura