Extract from an interview on Phare fm radio station, June 24, 2021 :
“My name is Yona, I am 19 years old and I am a Law School freshman. I am playing basket-ball too, on a professional level.
During my studies, I went to a private contract school with big classes and then to a non-contract private school with a maximum of 20 pupils per class. With small numbers in non-contract schools, you feel supported by the teachers and have more time to progress at your own pace.
What amazed me the most about my schooling in the non-contract school, is that the teachers cared about our well-being, rather than just getting good grades. It helped us to feel good about ourselves and always doing our best.
In my basketball team, lots of players wanted to go out at night. I’ve never had the urge to go drinking (alcohol). I think it is a foundation I picked up at school. On several occasions, my coaches told me : “Thanks for who you are Yona”, because I was a role model in my work and also in my attitude, always with encouraging words, not criticism. I think it’s a foundation I picked up at school.
These christian foundations at school helped me to behave well. It allowed me to be patient. I didn’t feel like I was in a bubble because I was blessed to have teachers who emphasised critical thinking and interrogating the world around us. I was also blessed with parents who got me involved in sport, which opened up my horizons.
The aim of a Christian school is to combine academic skills with inner well-being. God told us to be lights in the world. I really see the Christian school as a way of drawing on that energy and then using that light, using the gifts we’ve developed, using who we are to bless those around us.”
