Making right decisions

There are times when each of us, teens, needs to make decisions. After high school, it gets more challenging to forge a clear career path. Gabriel, a 26-year-old architect living in Gasabo district, shares his life experience and how he made it. Gabriel was an ordinary eighteen-year-old boy; the third in a family of four children. He was doing great at school and in every subject he was dealing with. His parents were very proud of him. Surprisingly, in his last high school year, Gabriel’s performance declined. His parents were very disappointed. That was unlike their boy. They wondered if their son was hooked on drugs or if he had joined a bad clique. They were very anxious. They talked to his teachers, classmates, friends and even the school’s headmaster. He seemed okay except for his class scores. Gabriel couldn’t explain it either. He just lost interest in school. When Gabriel finished high school with grades slightly over the average, his father had a serious discussion with him. Gabriel wanted to start working; he wasn’t thinking about continuing his studies. To his surprise, his father thought it could be the right decision he made in a long time. Gabriel got hired at several work places that did not need any qualifications. He earned more money than his friends who were still at school. Two years later, Gabriel had enough. He started to question himself. He had everything but his ambitions began to haunt him. After a few months, Gabriel took the decision to go back to school. Thirsty for knowledge, he excelled in his studies and he became a young architect. He is now working as an architect. A bright future awaits him. He says that the two year he worked were a time of self discovery, and also a waste of time. The lesson we can take from his experience, is to look beyond our scope of vision. Gabriel’s story also teaches us to take lessons in every problem or experience we face. After all, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Ends