By Staff Report
Students of the Salvation Academy of Kangar Town in Lower Johnsonville have been urged to embrace education, discipline, hard work, and patriotism as the pillars of national development. The remark was by the keynote speaker of the event, Mr. Cherbo Geeplay.
Delivering the keynote address, writer and public intellectual, Cherbo Geeplay, challenged the students to see themselves not merely as learners but as future leaders and builders of the nation.
“The future of this nation does not start tomorrow. It starts with you — right here, right now, in this classroom,” Geeplay told the gathering of teachers, administrators, and students of the institution.
He emphasized that education remains the most powerful tool for personal and national transformation. According to him, developed nations rose because they invested in education, and Liberia can achieve similar progress if young people take their studies seriously.
“Every book you read is building your future. Every lesson you learn is shaping your destiny,” he said, encouraging students not to be discouraged by academic challenges but to remain focused and determined.
On the subject of hard work, Geeplay reminded the students that success does not come through shortcuts. He stressed that effort, preparation, and perseverance are necessary ingredients for excellence in school and in life.
“There is no magic road to success. If you want to pass your exams, you must study. If you want to be great, you must practice,” he added.
He also highlighted discipline as a key virtue for responsible citizenship, noting that discipline is not punishment but protection against mistakes that could ruin a young person’s future. A disciplined student, he said, respects teachers, obeys school rules, avoids bad company, and controls negative habits.
Turning to patriotism, Geeplay urged the students to love their country not just through words or symbols but through action. He defined true patriotism as studying hard, respecting the law, rejecting corruption, promoting peace, and serving others.
“Liberia needs builders, not destroyers. Liberia needs thinkers, not troublemakers,” he declared.
Describing the students as the nation’s hope, Geeplay said the country’s history of hardship could be transformed through the commitment of educated and disciplined young people.
“If you fail, Liberia suffers. If you succeed, Liberia rises,” he told the students, urging them to take their responsibilities seriously as future leaders.
The ceremony concluded with a call to action for students to choose education over ignorance, discipline over disorder, and patriotism over selfishness.
“The future of our nation begins with you,” Geeplay concluded, praying for God’s blessings upon the students and the Republic of Liberia.
