What has a beginning must definitely end at a particular season. And so the SS3 students of Omolaja Sodipo Memorial Anglican School have accomplished their academic goal and have become graduating students of the 2018/2019 academic session. I am using this medium to congratulate you for your perseverance and dedication to your studies which has earned you this singular honor to move further in life to greater heights and more academic attainment. My charge to you as you are graduating this year is to “Make a difference by being different: dare to stand out”.

For you graduands to make a difference in this competitive world you are entering into, you have to set for yourself a definitive Goal and in doing this, you need to get your priority right. Once you set your goal, i.e your ultimate career in life, you will now have a scale of preference and this you have to follow to the letter. Not everyone has to be a Doctor, Lawyer, Governor, Lecturer, Professor etc. However, once you have been able to choose your area of interest, you should pursue it with all vigour, sense of responsibility, and distinguish yourself in the field. Then you have made a difference. Mark you, in choosing your life career, you should put it in prayer and ask for God’s guidance. ”Except the Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth but in vain”[Psalm 127:1]. To make a difference in life you have to apply yourself to hard work and pray at every season.

We are in a society where accountability, honesty, integrity, hard work had been thrown to the dustbin. We as youths and oncoming generation should dare to make a difference by inculcating in ourselves good values which will make our society grow. Whatever is put in our care we must cherish it and ensure it is properly managed and positive results are achieved for the benefit of all. Our purpose in life is to positively touch the lives of our fellow men. By doing so we shall be contributing to the social and economic growth of our society. In ensuring that we are on the right track to making a difference, we should ensure that all our actions are fair and do not jeopardize the interest of others.

 Let us eschew bitterness in all our dealings with others and at all times make the world a better place for all. I am sure majority of the graduands would still like to gain admission into Institutions of higher learning, wherever you find yourselves, be it in the University, Polytechnic, Vocational Institutes, Professional Institutions or Specialized Colleges, your paramount goal should be to make a difference. Always remember that in life to make a difference you have to take a bold step because the journey to any destination always starts once a step is taken. Thereafter, you are on your path to greatness.

Before I conclude, I wish to appeal to all our teachers to make the success of their students be their topmost priority in their daily dealings. Without them you will not be in this institution and as a result no amount of effort is too much to make Omolaja Sodipo Memorial Anglican School first among equals in Abeokuta and in Ogun State. To us parents and guardians, we should not rest on our wards, rather we should continue to give our best to our children until they become great in life. This is the dream of every parent and it should be guided jealously.

My dear Graduands, as I bid you farewell, I pray that the Lord shall guide your footsteps, you shall never falter and you shall continue to be a source of pride for the school and indeed your parents. It is well with you all. God bless.