Small actions often go the most unappreciated as those who are recipients of the beneficial acts take them for granted. And I am no exception. However,
AMUNEKE, Chibuikem
appreciation, in whatever form it may come, is better given late than never and so, in celebration of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, I want to take this opportunity and medium to express my gratitude to a few women at the Heights who have undoubtedly shaped my JMC experience and life in whole.
To start off, though in no particular order, I want to thank a woman who has been more than a teacher to the entirety of my small class of Catering Craft Practice (CCP) students; one who never failed to understand and sympathize with our, sometimes, paltry student issues. Mrs. Ugochi IKE has been very influential in my growth as a JMC student right from my first CCP class in SS1. It is safe to say she has filled in the role of a mother figure at JMC, and for that I am ever grateful.
The very first staff that most students first form bonds with are the ones who they make contact with the most. From the rooster call-like screams to wake up children engrossed in their dreams to the pleas to make these same children rest their heads at night, our hostel parents are fundamentals in our day to day lives. Ms. Charity ISMAEL, Ms. Bethel OTI, Ms. Amarachukwu OKORIE, Mrs. Margaret ODEY (popularly called Mrs Maggie), and Mrs. Christabel deserve far more than praises for all they do within the Heights. For being there even when it seems as though we don’t need you, I express my sincere thanks.
Another woman who has influenced me and several others, is a teacher who commands respect without even trying. She is undoubtedly one of the most revered and feared staff that walk the school grounds. From ensuring our safe-guarding to making sure we know how to properly use safe-guarding in a sentence, Mrs. Stella NWAGWU is a woman that I am sure deserves more than a pat on the back. For being a role model to several students and for ultimately changing the narrative of my relationship with words, I thank her.
To many students, she may be that one staff whose voice breaks the morning silence, her bellows chasing us all away from the classrooms being tended to. I use her as a representative of the several other female maintenance staff who ensure that JMC continues to sparkle inside and outside. Mrs. Gift EZEKIEL, who you can find every morning putting into order the entire JS 3 block, is an essential player in the game we all play in this school. As her acts go noticed but often times unappreciated, I want to take out time to thank her for her enduring service to us all.
After the hostel and class, we students spend the most time in the dining hall, the place where we eat, gist, argue, beg and eat some more. So, it would be a disservice to the several kitchen staff, who ensure we don’t all starve and emaciate, if I don’t thank them all, Ms. Trinity NATHANIEL and Aunty Stella UGWU will serve as representatives for all of them in the kitchen who toil all day to put food out on fifty-six tables. From the sweet smelling potato on Tuesday dinners to the steaming hot pap on some Thursdays, I want to extend a big “thank you” for never getting tired of feed with delicious meals.
I want to specially thank the women in the media team who have encouraged, and also helped improve my once confusing relationship with words. I won’t be bluffing if I say that I would be much different from who I am today if not for these two women. From Ms. Chiamaka ALISIGWE, who unfortunately is no longer a staff here, who received the very first article I submitted for publication to Ms. Ijeoma UGWU who edited this very work. I want to thank them so very much because I don’t know what I would be without the words I pen down and publish; without these women who continually pushed me, I wouldn’t even be me.
Ultimately, all the women at the Heights deserve accolade, whether mentioned or not, as they are integral and essential parts of the JMC community. International Women’s Day is just one day set aside to notice and appreciate all the women around us and I urge us all to not limit this show of gratitude to just one day of the year, but rather express our thankfulness whenever and however we can.
Happy International Women’s Day to one and all!
Chibuikem Nnanyere AMUNEKE
Class of 2025