It happened on a misty morning while I was on my way from the infamous TDB, a term used by University of Ibadan students to describe the act of reading till daybreak. I can remember hurriedly filling the online form to be part of the Tell! Ambassadors 2020. Before this time, I did not have a full understanding of Tell! Africa and what it represented. All I knew was that it was an opportunity to add more accolades to my CV. Some weeks later, after writing and selection round, and I received a call from the CEO of Tell! to participate in an interview. Twelve months later and I am to officially pass down the baton to a new president of the Tell! community, University of Ibadan.
I must say, a lot has happened since coming into the position of the President of Tell! UI. Putting in for the Tell! Fellowship program is one of the best decisions I ever made. It has opened doors whose keys were embedded only in the experience that Tell! offers. There are a few accolades, many regrets, and twice as many learning experiences. Oftentimes, we go into positions having the mind of a radical and thinking along the lines of “I have a dream, to make a difference in the xxx community.” If there is anything I have learned from this experience, it is that sometimes we are put in a certain position to interact, make mistakes, and learn lessons. I have certainly had my own share of mistakes and lessons; I can confidently say that they have readjusted my mental capacities and have rerouted my leadership abilities.
When I look back, I realize that it was only providence that brought me to Tell! However, knowing how unsure providence is for some persons, I would like to encourage that you try your hardest to be part of this program. Nothing you give beats what you will receive, believe me. You get to know the intricacies of the world of creativity and learning, and the most beautiful thing is that you don’t do it alone. You have a community of like minds to carry and be carried; you have a host of mentors and role models; you have the blank page of your mind waiting to be filled with the ink of learning; finally, you have a pathway to spread the gospel of creativity around your campus.
So, you… yes, you. Deliberating on whether you want to put in for this program or stay away, remember that you don’t need any experience in this program to become experienced, you don’t need a head full of creativity to lead a creative community, and you don’t need the words of a quirky, awkward, not-so-brilliant, ex-president to put in for the Tell! Fellowship Program. All you have to do is to take the first step and everything will fall into place. As the common saying goes “it is in you.” So, take that step and begin the climb to greatness.
p:s _ I am not the one in the cover picture above. Lol.
Here’s the link for the application process: https://tell.africa/fellowship
What do you think?