Woman, 33, fulfils A-Level dream

Kampala. At 33 years and after 11 years out of school, Teopista Masika of St Mark’s College Namagoma, Wakiso District, is ecstatic and has set her eyes on journalism course at Nkozi University.
Ms Masika sat her 2017 UACE exams, scoring 13 points in Divinity, Entrepreneurship and Geography, including subsidiary passes in General Paper and ICT.

But it was a bumpy and zig-zag trip for Ms Masika.
After completing her Senior Four exams in 2004, Ms Masika’s hopes of joining A-Level were dashed.
While she wished to advance her studies, her parents preferred she joins a vocational training institute.

“I went ahead to do my own things. We were already many in the family, so I did not know how to continue to A-Level against my parents wish,” she narrates during an interview on Wednesday.
Ms Masika later went on to work in different positions in the Catholic Church in Kasese District, including in the bishop’s office.
“I worked in Bishop Egidio Ngaijanayo’s office for one year in addition to the other many places within the Catholic fraternity,” she says.
But her dream was not lost as she rekindled her A-Level dreams when she was 31 years, thanks to one of the church members who volunteered to take her back to school.

Mocked
Her first attempt collapsed to the mockery she was subjected to by students and some teachers.
Despite her age, Ms Masika managed to fit in the new school.
She attributes her success to her teachers who understood her problem and gave her extra attention.
“I was given special attention since the teachers all knew I was not at the same age with the other students. This made me feel at peace and concentrate on my studies,” the 33-year-old says.

Ms Masika’s determination has finally paid off and now hopes to pursue her passion.
“I volunteered for Guide Radio in Kasese at some point and that is what I am passionate about. I want to become a journalist,” she says.
Without a doubt, Ms Masika’s dream is achievable.

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