Son of the soil urges Federation’s youth to seize opportunities
By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com
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Lance Corporal in the British Army, Philippe Orchard
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN a brief visit to the Basseterre High School (BHS) this morning (Jan. 9), Philippe Orchard stressed to students the importance of being determined and creative in their life pursuits.
A former student of the BHS, Orchard is a Lance Corporal in the British Army and was deployed in a number of countries including Afghanistan, Cyprus and Nepal.
According to the St. Kitts-born soldier, he arranged to meet with some of the school’s current students in order “to open their eyes to the varied career opportunities that exist”.
“There are so many options out there that people haven’t explored. And it’s not about having the perfect academic background or having passed the most CXC subjects; it’s all about the determination you possess.
“You don’t have to be the brightest person in order to succeed in life, and you can’t think once you’re not academically inclined you have no future. If you don’t set goals and try to achieve them, then your life will be aimless,” he stressed.
Orchard further stated that even the least of opportunities should be explored and persons should examine the subjects they studied in school and try to figure out the viable career paths they could pursue. ~~Adz:Right~~
He noted that it was important for persons to find something they are passionate about, as they would find it much easier to learn about and be trained in that profession or skill.
Orchard further stated that members of the community need to take a more active role in providing guidance and advice to students.
“These role models need to visit the schools and sensitise children to the opportunities that are out there, because they can make a difference in these children’s lives and give them insight into what these professions entail.
I was never that into school until nearing the end of my high schooling…I think that if someone had made the effort to come and talk to me and enlighten me, then I would have been in a much better position than I was when I left school.
“This is my plea to persons in the business community, civil society, and et cetera. Let us do what we can to give the youth adequate knowledge about the world of work so they can make informed choices about what they want to spend the rest of their lives doing,” Orchard implored.
