February 26^th, 2021 must have been a memorable day for the students of Kombo Kerewan Upper and Senior Secondary School in Lamin, The Gambia as they received their first ever career day event delivered by Coaches of Influence Foundation (COIF).The event was coordinated by Mariego Sanyang – a COIF 2^nd year mentee & youth leader who also happens to be a teacher at the school.

As a passionate novice teacher, Mariego shared that her desire to coordinate such an event was ignited by her concern for the students who were not receiving guidance for their next level in life.  According to her, she observed that they were somewhat lost - not knowing the career path to choose and in some cases, slightly confused about which school to transition to pursue higher education.

Upon arrival at the school, the COIF team was amazed to find the students already seated and anxiously waiting for motivation, inspiration, counseling and guidance on Career Development. At the very onset of the session, some students expressed their frustration of being limited by cultural barriers, gender bias, academic performance, family status and the absence of career counseling services from choosing the education and career paths of their choice.  However, there was a shift in the atmosphere as students engaged the COIF team in the most important dialogue of their lifetime.

They were actively engaged in exchanging ideas, asking questions, and sharing their contribution which opened them to a world of knowledge, counsel and answers to their long-standing questions, fears and doubts.  At the end of a four-hour session, the students surprised the COIF team with poetry recital and short skits with the theme "Career".  In their presentations, they emphasized the need for career guidance for students to unleash their potential and find their purpose.

Author:  Simon Kangakan

Editor:  Dr. Margaret Ellis