Nkiru Ofoma

My Role as an Alumnus to my Alma Mater and Alumni Association
Written by: Mrs. Nkiru Ofoma (Pink House, 1997 set)

Alma mater is a School, College or University at which one has studied and, usually from which one has graduated. It is generally used as a positive term, implying loyalty for the nurturing qualities of the college. Alumnus is a male former student while Alumina is a female former student of a College. An alumni association is an association of graduates or more broadly of former student (alumni). Federal government College Ikom was founded in 1989 and it is located at Ikom Local Government Area, Cross River State. The College graduated her pioneer Student in 1994.

As an alumna in the alumni association, I have several responsibilities. I must be a registered member of the association, pay my dues and other donations as and when due. This will help the association to have fund to solve financial problems such as development of the college, sustaining regular programs and skills acquisition and also support for deserving student who are short of funds. I must always attend the alumni association meetings to contribute my ideas. I will also assist the alumni association in training new class officers. It is expected of me to also participate in the election of the association executives to vote capable hands that will run the affairs of the association successfully. I have every right to vote and to be voted for. Alumni association should be encouraged in all the branches to promote common goals of the college.

I also have the duty of living an exemplary life to protect the name of the association and the alma mater as a whole. I must live a life that is free from corruption to be able to be a good mentor to the current student of the college. I have a lot of roles to play to keep the flag of my alma mater flying. I need to volunteer my time to attend most of the activities of the college This will help me to know their basic needs: such as the dilapidated classroom blocks, hostels and other infrastructures.

The library of the school needs current books. Most of the books in the Library are outdated and need to be replaced. Fans and air conditions are to be fixed everywhere in the library for the students to read comfortably. The college clinic needs qualified doctors and nurses. These doctors and nurses are to work on shift basis in case of emergency. The clinic needs new medical equipment. As an alumna, I do not need to wait for the government to do ever thing for my alma mater. My alma mater needs a good mini stadium and other sports facilities to enable the student enjoy sports activities in the college. This will help the students that have interest in sports to be encouraged in this area. These students can become professional athletes, footballers, basket ballers etc. in future. This will promote the name of the college.

The college needs a standard information and communication technology (ICT) laboratory and qualified teacher. This will enable the student to have knowledge in that field because technology is an increasingly important aspect of modern school life and has dramatically change the way teachers and student go about their daily activities, it allows the student to be creative while developing new skills and grasping and understanding of how things work, it can also provide student into wealth of information and knowledge which they can then use in the future to pursue a related career or simply as a subject interest and intrigue. It will also help the teachers to make their lessons more interactive and therefore more interesting and rewarding. It will also help the college to obtain and record information much more efficient and effective because computer record is much harder to misplaced than realms of paper records.

The college needs many infrastructures such as boarding facilities, Pipe born water, electricity, etc. to enable the student to live comfortably in the school. The students are jam-packed in various hostels and this can lead to outbreak of diseases. There should be pipe born water everywhere in the school. The classroom environment is one of the most important factors affecting students learning. A positive environment is one in which a student feels a sense of belonging, trust others and feel encouraged to tackle challenges, take risk and ask question. There is a saying that says ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’. The college made me to be what I am today. It is expected of me to support my alma mater positively in order to raise the college into an enviable height.