By Precious D. Freeman
The Future Leaders Preparatory Academy (FLPA) on Center Street, South Beach over the weekend held its third commencement ceremony where more than thirty 12 graders were graduated.
At the graduation ceremony held at the World Wide Mission Church on Newport Street last Saturday, the Managing Director for Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Henry O. Williams, urged the graduates to be proud and appreciative of the knowledge acquired thus far.
Mr. Williams said that for the graduates to have reached this academic sojourn today is indeed through the grace of God and also their parents and sponsors, hence they should be appreciative to them irrespective of their poor financial endeavor.
He explained that some students don’t like to identify with their parents whenever they are in public just because their parents are poor and do not have enough.
“This school might not be the best among all schools but be appreciative to identify with your school out there, because where you graduate from does not have anything to do with your success in life,” he said.
According to him, Nelson Mandela and the President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah, all came from slum communities and became Heads of State.
The Keynote Speaker also encouraged the graduates to be persistent to learn in order for them to enjoy life and become great leaders of tomorrow, thereby advising that nothing should be a hindrance in their educational development.
“Today is the beginning and not the end of your academic sojourn. I therefore encouraged you all to be appreciative and be very proud of where you all come from and to also run your academic journey with courage, persistency and determination because your future depends on you, “he stated.
The guest speaker then gave three cartons of plain sheets and ten thousand LD to the school and later pledged twenty thousand LD again towards their project.
According to the proprietor of the school, Emmanuel K. Agyei, the school started as a dream with a study class in Perkins Yard between Randall and Gurley Street, but as time went by, he decided to form an NGO to enable him expand the study class, so he wrote several people and got support from lots of people especially from the former President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.