The Chief’s Diary: Impact is an Ongoing Experience- how Esther Tholley makes me believe more in youth
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went to visit Freetown Secondary School for Girls. On my tour, a young, energetic young lady had some questions for me. I was quite inspired by her and I’m sure we spoke about her education then.
Today, that same young woman was part of a high-level dialogue I chaired focused on industrialization and youth employment.
Esther Tholley, a Gender and Development Studies major at Fourah Bay College, is in year 3 -honours 1. She is serving as the President for the Gender Equity Society FBC and a youth ambassador. Her points in the dialogue today were brilliant (all the youth representatives were excellent) and she underscores what human capital transformation truly means. She is a product of President Bio’s FQSE. She also underlines why I treat each human with respect and will continue to believe in radical inclusion. I’m not sure how my interaction with her in 2020 shaped her future (including me posting her photo then) but I know it definitely shaped me then. Most importantly, my reconnection with her today gave me a renewed commitment to keep investing in young people. Of course, I imagined this:
2020: She was a school student and I was the Minister of Education
2026: She is a university student and I am the Chief Minister.
2028: Maybe she’ll be on my team in a different capacity. You never know!
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went to visit Freetown Secondary School for Girls. On my tour, a young, energetic young lady had some questions for me. I was quite inspired by her and I’m sure we spoke about her education then.
Today, that same young woman was part of a high-level dialogue I chaired focused on industrialization and youth employment.
Esther Tholley, a Gender and Development Studies major at Fourah Bay College, is in year 3 -honours 1. She is serving as the President for the Gender Equity Society FBC and a youth ambassador. Her points in the dialogue today were brilliant (all the youth representatives were excellent) and she underscores what human capital transformation truly means. She is a product of President Bio’s FQSE. She also underlines why I treat each human with respect and will continue to believe in radical inclusion. I’m not sure how my interaction with her in 2020 shaped her future (including me posting her photo then) but I know it definitely shaped me then. Most importantly, my reconnection with her today gave me a renewed commitment to keep investing in young people. Of course, I imagined this:
2020: She was a school student and I was the Minister of Education
2026: She is a university student and I am the Chief Minister.
2028: Maybe she’ll be on my team in a different capacity. You never know!
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