Mercy Naluyombya, daughter to Zaake Mukasa and Rose Nakyanzi, has every reason to smile after having emerged the top achiever in last year’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Cornerstone Junior School Mukono campus, with aggregate 4.
She says she could not believe her ears on receiving the news that she had emerged in top position, but attributed her success to consistency in revising her books and engaging in group discussions with her colleagues even outside class hours.
Naluyombya who vies to become a medical doctor, is waiting for her admission letter from Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga, to begin on her long career of a doctor.
Others in second position who scored five points include; Nakiwenda Elizabeth, Munyenye Aaliah, Benjamin Kayiza, Joshua Paul Mugambwa, Chrystal Male, Sal-Mah Nakitto, Kwagala Racheal, Sahar Mbaziira and others.
They were all engaged in a frenzy of excitement and gave different testimonies of the challenges they encountered on their way to success, but were all happy that at the end of the day, they emerged victorious.
A 13-year old Racheal Kwagala, who spent a sizable spell of time in bed confinement due to an attack of ulcers defied all odds and emerged one of the best performers in a class of 152 learners.
Kwagala, a daughter to Sophia Nanteza and Nicholas Ssekabira of Ddandira Cell in Mukono Central division, Mukono Municipality scored aggregate 5.
She was among the jubilating colleagues at the school’s Mukono campus, saying she was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after an attack of a strong spell of stomach ulcers, where she was bedridden for two weeks with very sharp pains.
“I experienced a double pain of the disease, and the psychological pangs caused by the knowledge that my colleagues at school were in serious last minute revisions while I was wriggling in bed at home with ulcers”, Kwagala who was almost in tears of joy said.
As a born-again, Kwagala says she had opted to fasting, following the biblical advice that certain obstacles cannot go away without intensive prayers and fasting. Unknown to her, she was provoking the ulcers in her stomach to hit back in a worse measure. She says wants to become a doctor in future.
Mbaziira Sahar said his parents sometimes paid his fees late due to financial hardships, but that this did not deter him from concentrating on his studies and finally emerging successful.
Nakitto Salmah had a slightly related story, her dad encountered a problem at his place of work which caused a hiccup in his prompt school payment schedule.
Eliza Naluwembe says that although she had no well-defined health problem, she normally got an unexplained fear for examinations, but that God finally gave her the strong heart that helped her register victory.
Male Chrystal Pearl explains her shining performance to her committed teachers whom she says used to counsel them in a parental way; “I do not regret anything and I am proudly waiting to travel to King’s College Buddo to begin my secondary education.”
The school deputy headteacher in charge of academics Ann Nafula says the school got 122 first grades out of 152 registered candidates.
Nafula has called upon parents not to look anywhere else as they are looking for schools to entrust their children with, saying they have got the basic requirements which can make any learner pass.
