IN order to prepare secondary school students for their future, the Kola Daisi Foundation, recently hosted young boys and girls to a day of career talk, while showcasing performance arts as one of the creative options they can embrace.
To stimulate the participants’ interest in performance arts, particularly dancing, the Alajota Dance Company was invited to perform, as well as speak to the students.
The coordinator of the dance group, Emmanuel Christopher, who had been travelling around the world entertaining art lovers for the past 20 years, said students need to focus on what they have passion for before choosing a future career.
ALSO READ: I’m not on watch list since I have no corruption case with EFCC — Omisore
Christopher urged the students not to be forced to go for a course of study which they do not have passion for, as it would not make them happy in the long run.
“Today, there are many unhappy medical doctors, lawyers, among other professionals. These people are unhappy because they were forced into the profession by their parents, or other family members.
“I am, however, happy with what I am doing, and it is giving me satisfaction,” Christopher said, while urging the students to follow their passion.
Earlier, the programme director of the foundation, Adegoke Sulaimon, said the essence of the career talk was to guide students on how to go about achieving their future ambitions without beating about the bush.
“The resource persons we invited to speak to you have gone through what you are going through today, and in order to make it easier for you, they will show you how to go about choosing a career path based on your passion,” Sulaimon said.
Also speaking, another official of the foundation, Adebisi Bello, urged the students not to cast their minds in stone as regards their future careers, as such could lead to time wasting.
Bello said some people might say they would rather get admitted for medicine or law, or they would stay back for another year in order to try again.
“There are alternatives through which one could go to achieve one’s future dreams,” Bello said.
A consultant to the foundation, Folorunsho Moshood, however, said that students should not be confrontational with their parents as regard their choice of course in the university.
He said: “If your parents want you to study a particular course, and you feel you have no passion for it, there is no need to fight with them. There is a way you can speak to them about it, or get people who your parents listen to to speak to them.
“You don’t need to fight them, as this would only make the situation more difficult, and don’t forget that they will still be responsible for paying your university tuition,” Moshood said.
One of the resource persons at the career talk, Mrs Ife Adeagbo, shared her experience about how she went to medical school for four years but had to leave due to some circumstances.
Speaking on the topic, Smart Career Choice in the 21st Century, Mrs Adeagbo, said new trends and skills are emerging, and one should not be limited by the geographical space to thrive in the 21st century.
“Today, one can be in Nigeria and work for a company based in the United States, or even China. So don’t just say this is what I want to do.
“Whatever you want to do, look at the global opportunities you can tap from that profession, and not limit yourself to your locality alone,” Mrs Adeagbo said.
While also spe0
aking, the Assistant Registrar of the Kola Daisi University, Mr Seyi Adepoju, urged the students to look at the opportunities at the Kola Daisi University.
He said staff at the university had been trained to specially guide students on their career path, while also working with them on how to achieve their dreams.
“One good thing about KDU is that students follow the entrepreneurship aspect of their chosen profession, so when they graduate, they would have been well trained on how to be job creators,” Adepoju said.
and then