Reflections on leadership- Outgoing and incoming SRC Presidents on their very unique journey to greatness
As the term of the current Student Representative Council comes to an end, outgoing President Mr. Dobyo Amos who is also expected to graduate this year in June from the College of Social Sciences, Theology, Humanities and Education (CSSTHE) looks back on his time at the helm of student leadership. “ Firstly, I wish to sincerely say thank you to the school administration, my wonderful SRC and SUP team, and the entire Students’ Union for all the support and achievements we’ve made together. I also wish to congratulate the newly elected Students Representative Council (SRC) for the 2023/2024 Academic year. It is my earnest hope and prayer that they achieve greater things. Being in the SRC requires service and sacrifice. Balancing academic and leadership roles is one of the most difficult tasks in the SRC.
My greatest joy was seeing my fellow students striving to take up leadership roles. It means that Africa University’s dream of making transformational leaders for Africa and the world is truly alive and is starting from home. As I prepare to leave office, I urge the new team to consider the power conferred on them as an obligation to lead, to serve, to learn and to love. It might not be easy but it is worth it. I also want to use this medium, on behalf of the 2022/2023 SRC, to wish all of our students, especially the final years, a successful examination session.”
Dobyo Amos will be handing over the reigns of the challenging yet highly rewarding role from the perspective of od student advancement and development to Zade Miles Patel, the SRC President-elect who is a 2nd year student doing Accounting in the College of Business Peace Leadership and Governance (CBPLG) and is a Zimbabwean.
Looking forward to his term, Zade said, “ First and foremost, it is a pleasure to serve the student body as the next SRC President. Despite the fact that a few years ago I would never have imagined myself in the current position I am in, I would like to utilize this as a testimony.
Everyone told me my entire life that I had the capacity to do great things in this world; the only problem was that I was lazy, unmotivated, the weakest link, and most importantly, that person who was always picked on, BY EVERYONE. All glory to God, after experiencing huge setbacks in my life such as drug misuse, alcoholism, depression, and anxiety, to name a few, I learned what I was capable of before embarking on my Africa University journey. I know what it’s like to be at rock bottom; it’s not a good feeling, and I don’t want others to feel the same way as I did.
‘ZADE! ‘This is your moment to show people who you are and what you stand for,’ I reminded myself before attending Africa University. Dwelling on my history, I always had self-doubt, which is why I ran for SRC President since it pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to do things I never believed I was capable of. Essentially, if you believe you can do anything, go for it wholeheartedly with your heart, soul, and mind. Even if you fail, it is still a great personal accomplishment since we must always compete against ourselves.
Only then do we learn, and when we learn, we grow, and with growth we now transform. My journey to where I am today has been difficult, but I am glad for the experiences because I can now stand on the mountaintop and say, ‘I CONQUERED.’ I envision contributing to the Africa University community by being a role model and showing people that if you have the correct mindset, nothing is impossible. My ambition is to unite and empower my beloved colleagues and others for the betterment of the Africa University community and the African continent at large. Our journey begins right now.”