Surmounting Life’s Complex Challenges
PHOTO: UL Mathematics Department Dux, Clinton P. Quee
By Kelvin Gonlah, gonlahkelvin1995@gmail.com
The state-owned University of Liberia (UL) on Monday, May 29, 2023 kicked off its 103rd college-based graduation format at the main Fendell campus in Louisiana, outside Monrovia. The Amos C. Sawyer College of Liberal Arts, formally Liberia College led the way to be followed by the Science and several other colleges over the next couple of days.
Clinton P. Quee, age 22 is among the nearly1,500 candidates from several undergraduate colleges who is leaving the walls of the UL, but he will be walking out of the University with honour, after going through a lot of challenges.
Young Clinton, who hails from northeastern Nimbia County, is bagging a Barchelors of Science degree in Mathematics, topping his Math department, graduating with distinction– Magna Cum Laude with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.633, according to the UL official Facebook page. The decision came after a tedious observation by its administration over the week.
Magna Cum Laude is a Latin phrase which is translated into English “with great praise” and is defined as one of three commonly used academic degree honours.
In an interview with this young Valedictorian (Dux), Clinton told this Reporter that his dream of becoming a valedictorian of the UL was something he expected during his Sophomore year at the UL.
“When I was a Sophomore student at the University of Liberia, I had thought that I could serve as the valedictorian during my graduation. I did not know it could have happened too but it’s possible. So I started to put in more time and effort to bring my dream to reality. So immediately after the University of Liberia announced that I’m the Valedictorian of the 103 graduating class, obviously I was amazed; I have set a history that might not be reached for a couple of years. Coming from the Department of Mathematics and serving as the Valedictorian of the entire university is something that will bring happiness to every individual,” said the young Valedictorian of the 103rd graduating class.
“I graduated from the Ganta United Methodist School in Nimba County before matriculating to the University of Liberia, I passed both the UL entrance and West African Examination Council (WAEC) and it was a great achievement for me at that time; there has been wild speculation that people write the University of Liberia entrance more than 5 to 6 times before passing and many people have not been successful but it was historical, especially in my personal life,” he explained.
The current Valedictorian of the UL Mathematics department said the idea that many Liberians project before entering the University of Liberia is a myth and that the University of Liberia is a place of integrity.
Clinton added that he has been one of the eyewitnesses who has seen students whose parents don’t even have money to afford still entered the University of Liberia without paying a dime and he’s one of the examples.
“I want to say that the story of red tape is false and malicious, and as such, people should refrain from carrying out that kind of information about the University of Liberia in public space. I entered the University of Liberia (UL) where I was confronted with many difficulties and I spent three months even getting my admission letter some of which I saw confronted with during my academic sojourn at UL,” Clinton added.
“Both my mother and father are unemployed when I entered the University of Liberia, I asked my father to pay my first-semester tuition and according to him, he did not have money to pay at that time. Sadly, my father suffered from stroke and he’s currently going through a whole lot of pain. He did not have money to pay my fees because of his health condition. I even called my mother to help me pay my fees because I wasn’t used to the environment in which I was living and I didn’t know how to lobby and sustain myself at that time. And I remembered my mother, saying that since I have passed the University of Liberia (UL) entrance, I must go back to Ganta and get a job, maybe I can teach and after I get a little sum of money, then I will go back and pay my fees to continue my studies. But that wasn’t encouraging to me,” the former Ganta Methodist High School alumnus narrated.
Giving a flashback on his primary education days, Clinton narrated that his academic career became in Monrovia, New Kru Town where he attended several schools including Faith Mission Temple Academy, and the Saint Georgia Junior High School before his parents took him to Ganta, Nimba County to complete his high school.
“When I became a new step in my academic sojourn, I was not good at mathematics. I spent grade 6 and grade 7 in Ganta Public School where I met scholars who I couldn’t compete with at that time; l later changed my school. It was shocking to many people that I did not know how to add fractions, I did not know that when I was even in 11 grade at Ganta United Methodist School. I was known in the Ganta Public School for singing and rapping and reciting recitation. No one ever know me for being an academician in the Ganta Public School”, the former president of the Department of Mathematics,” the young UL Mathematician asserted.
“I was not known for any academic activities. I even attended summer school in 6th grade because I filled in mathematics in Ganta Public School, I went to Summer School in 7th grade because of mathematics, I went to summer school in 8th grade because of mathematics and I went to summer school in 9th because of mathematics, I still failed in mathematics during my 9th-grade year when I sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Even in 10th grade, I had 10 red marks in both algebra and geometry on my annual grade sheet (report card). It was during the vacation in my 12th grade year I started practicing mathematics,” Clinton, the valedictorian continued.
“Biology was my best subject but I have so much love for mathematics even though I did not know how to add a fraction; I got challenged by Martin Harris who told me that he will come to conduct a tutorial for us in our 12th-grade class, by which time Martin Harris was in 9th grade. He told me that he will come to our camp and conduct a tutorial when we are ready to write our West African Examination Council (WAEC) that got me motivated and I asked myself, why will a student from a 9th-grade class conduct a tutorial for us? So immediately I went and got a pre-algebra and started practicing; eventually, I practiced, and I started understanding the mathematical concept,” the UL Math Department Dux said.
According to him, after his graduation, his ambition is to get his first Master’s Degree in Pure Math and another Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Linear Algebra to put Liberia at the top and compete with his foreign counterparts.
“Since 1847, there has been no student of mathematics in Liberia that has been celebrated on the internet currently as compared to me. So as the most celebrated Math student in Liberia, I want to say to everyone who is in high school and even those who have graduated and are still in Universities, and want to further their study in any field of studies. You need commitment, time, and interest. You can be the worst student and become the best and my story should also be a motivation to the entire country,” Clinton stated as he braces himself to surmount the post first degree challenges that lurks in the horizon.
But one thing is sure: his family, loved ones and friends both in the UL arena, at the Ganta United Methodist High School and Nimba County are today feeling proud of this young Liberian scholar’s achievement.