I desired to write this article for sometime now but didn’t feel the time was right. Today, however, I believe that time has come. Although every person can benefit from an article like this, I ask of you to encourage your family members who are studying, especially those in secondary school, to take a read.
I believe that your purpose births your passions and your passions determine your priorities. The problem with all of this is knowing what your purpose is. I am 31 years old, and would you believe that it was only at this age that I finally received confirmation as to what mine is. Reflecting over the past 14 years, I now have a clear understanding of how all that I have been through and been a part of, has beautifully come together as a collage of experiences to form a priceless picture of purpose.
I can say with all surety and confidence that I was created to make people’s lives better. This will be fulfilled through my non-governmental organisation, my music, my articles and future national governance and leadership, but in order to fulfil this purpose, I must be trained and educated, and here lies the problem.
I enjoyed all 19 years of my school life and looking back, Wesley Hall, Christ Church Foundation, Barbados Community College (BCC) and the University of the West Indies (UWI) were generally good to me. Most of my memories are pleasant except one main one, which followed me from primary straight to tertiary.
I went to school mainly because my mum told me to go. My parents sacrificed to send me to school and encouraged me to get an education and get a job. It was only after completing UWI and on returning from my missionary work in Australia that I realised I had a huge problem.
Throughout school, I always had good relationships and generally got along with everyone. On all of my reports from primary to secondary, it was stated that Corey talks too much. From young, I had a unique ability of communicating with people through the use of words and as a result, was able to build many relationships, which became my purpose throughout school.
This may sound very strange to most reading, but I never saw any reason why I should strive for excellence or be at the top of the class academically. The reason was, I didn’t know many people who did and I didn’t see anyone around me who benefited from ‘doing well’ in school. As a result, I did just enough to pass and move to the next level. At CXC, I received eight 3s, my GPA at BCC gradually dropped from above 3.0 to below 2.5 and at UWI, I was satisfied to just pass and ended up with lower seconds.
I came back to Barbados from Australia in 2007 a “new creation” and a different person. In 2009, I began searching for a Master’s degree in leadership and for three to four years applied to different universities, all of which basically said I was not good enough. My academic performance on paper was all they saw and despite over those six years developing into a mature, focused and gifted individual, which was evident in my CV, the academic record took pre-eminence.
I am thankful for the relationships I made over the years but the reality is, I wasted my education and was ungrateful to all those who sacrificed to give me the opportunity to study. My heart hurts when I see or receive emails with job opportunities to which I know I am a perfect candidate and have great passion for, but lack that Master’s or graduate diploma.
Imagine if I had done my homework, studied and revised more and had the right attitude; things could be so much easier now. I will continue to apply to those universities and those jobs and even though I may be turned down or blacklisted, I will never give up.
Your decisions and actions now will have great effect and influence on your future. I can’t change my past but my experience can help you shape and direct your future. Learn from me; don’t make the same mistake.
• Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.
