Fresh out of school and going places

Six high achievers are quite optimistic about the future of the country as well as their own.

ISLAMABAD:

Six high achievers of The City School capital campus are quite optimistic about the future of the country as well as their own. They owe their achievements to their parents and teachers but consider hard work as the pre-requisite for success. The six high achievers who bagged distinctions in the Cambridge examination of May-June 2010 have also won scholarships.

Some of them shared their success stories with The Express Tribune at a function arranged by the school to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishment of the GCE O and A-level students on Saturday.

“Things are looking up, despite what’s been happening in Pakistan,” said Bilal Rafi, who placed first with four straight As in Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). He attributed his success to “luck, parents and teachers”. In his spare time, he plays badminton and is also fond of dancing and singing. “You name a thing and I like to do it,” he added with a mischievous grin.

Applying for a chartered accountant course at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, he is keen on serving his country, rather than settling abroad.

Saad Rathore, who also bagged four straight As in CIE A level, said he owed his success to the support from his family, friends, teachers and, above all, hard work.

“They really believed in me and that was a motivating factor,” he added, complacent. Already enrolled in Accounting and Finance at the Lahore University of Management and Science, he enjoys playing football at the university and is the house captain.

When asked to share his opinion on the country’s future, he said, “Our youth is being empowered through various individual groups and campaigns, raising awareness on many issues. There is tremendous hope.”

Shayan Kaleem, who placed third with three As, is a tennis and golf buff and has applied to Columbia University. Would he like to return to Pakistan? “Yes, definitely.”

Saniha Shahid, who has been placed first for getting four straight As plans to pursue medicine at Aga Khan University.

Her hobbies include playing table tennis and basketball and “watching lots of TV.”

“I don’t think of myself as a genius; its sheer hard work and that’s all,” she added, with a hint of a smile.

When asked about where the country was headed to, she took on a confident tone, “There’s plenty of hope. Look at India, they are far more poverty-stricken yet better in terms of development. Education is the way forward.”

Proud teachers and parents showered applause, taking photographs and congregating on the joyous occasion. The enthusiasm of students stood out, as they hooted, took pictures and tossed their certificates in the air. The event ended with hi-tea and music, adding ambience to the joyous occasion.

Secretary Cabinet Division and Ministry of Health, Nargis Sethi, who was the chief guest, spoke on the prevalent brain drain and stressed the need to give back what one has learnt from the system, restoring “precious human capital” to the homeland.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2011.