Celebrating Academic Excellence: Mighty Santa Caucus Honors 165 Students

The Mighty Santa Caucus held its 3rd Annual Excellence Award ceremony, recognizing 165 outstanding students for their academic achievements. This year’s event marked a significant increase from last year's 120 honorees, with awards ranging from 50,000 to 75,000 FCFA, along with certificates and school supplies.

President Dr. Chi Asafor Cornelius emphasized the transformative power of education, stating, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. It is a bridge to new ideas, new people, and new possibilities.” He underscored that true progress emerges from a supportive community.

The ceremony celebrated individual excellence while fostering a collective spirit. Award recipients expressed deep gratitude, viewing the honors as motivation to elevate their academic pursuits. Among the distinguished laureates was an undergraduate with a GPA of 3.9/4 and candidates from the GCE ‘A’ Level who achieved perfect scores of 25/25 and 33/33 respectively.

Nah Shyra Akuma, a GCE advanced level awardee, shared her appreciation: “This opportunity is one in a million. Many villages don’t do this, so I want to shout out to the Mighty Santa Caucus for recognizing the importance of encouraging students.” She noted the financial support would significantly aid her university expenses.

Since its inception in 2023, the  Mighty Santa Caucus under the leadership of Dr. Cornelius and Patron H.E. Atanga Nji Paul, has supported over 400 students with a total of about 45 million FCFA.

CEO Che Linidolf Ndongnyam the  Vice President highlighted the growth in student participation, attributing it to the gradual return of peace in the region. He shared, “The number of students this year tripled, prompting us to increase our budget to support excellence in our subdivision.”

He encouraged the recipients, stating, “Education is a capital that one can never run short of. As you see us here today, you are the future leaders who will take our place.”

The ceremony concluded with Dr. Chi Cornelius reiterating the Mighty Santa Caucus commitment to fostering a legacy of excellence, which he believes is crucial for the development of Santa and the nation.

"We are preparing the youth to take over, and we want excellent young leaders to succeed us. We aspire to leave a legacy—a legacy of excellence. This Legacy of Excellence will carry Santa forward and also propel a united, indivisible Cameroon. That is why this year is especially significant. We are undertaking this initiative under the guidance of His Excellency Paul Biya, a promoter of excellence in education. We always remind our brothers and sisters from Santa: there is no way that guns can win a war; the pens will always prevail."

By Bamenjo Petronilla