RALPH BANWARIE
Freelance Correspondent
Dr Shanta Maharaj has urged students not to stop dreaming when life gets difficult.
“Sometimes dreams take some time, but time doesn’t mean no—it just means not yet,” Dr Maharaj told Sangre Grande Hindu Primary School students during their graduation ceremony last Wednesday.
Maharaj, a medical doctor and past pupil of the Rosseau Street, Sangre Grande school, added, “The dreams we hold will always align. That is extremely beautiful and powerful. Always remember this quote by Winston Churchill: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue.’ So I want you to always think of your dreams like stars. You may not always reach them, but if you follow them, they will lead you to your destiny.”
She asked graduates to raise their hands if they had ever failed a test.
“Yes, even me!” she exclaimed.
“Now raise your hand if you got back up and tried again. That’s what matters,” she added.
Maharaj told students, “You all have dreams, and no one can realise your dreams but you. Only you can make them happen. Believe in yourself. Set yourself goals that are realistic and achievable, and with commitment, determination, perseverance and faith in God, you will achieve your goals.”
She warned that they were entering a new chapter and would face numerous challenges.
“You will be in a new school, out of Sangre Grande, and will be faced with long traffic in the morning and afternoon, new subject areas, different friends, and many distractions,” she explained.
Her advice was to stay focused, be resilient, think positive and remain optimistic.
She also urged them to keep the right company.
“Your friends are the soil your dreams grow in. The right friends will water your dreams, cheer you on and remind you how special you are. However, the wrong ones—they will try to pull you away from your path, distract you and make you feel small,” she said.
She continued, “So how do you know who the right friends are? They’ll clap when you win, they will help you when you fail, they remind you to be your best, even when no one is watching. They say kind things not just about you, but about others too. Show me your friends and I will show you your future.
“You don’t have to be in a big crowd to shine—sometimes your brightest moments happen when you are taking your own path,” she said.
She thanked parents and teachers for planting “seeds of kindness, curiosity and confidence” in the young minds.
“Parents, you have been the first teachers, the strongest cheerleaders and the softest landing spots,” she said.
However, she reminded parents that their children now need their support in different ways.
“They will need your belief in them, even when they don’t believe in themselves. Always be their lighthouse. Let them know that no matter how big the waves, your light will always guide them home.”
Maharaj encouraged the youngsters to have big dreams.
“In moments of adversity, I want you to remember to hold clearly to the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’,” she said.
