She couldn't forget that word. Fresh into JSS1, the excitement of the first day was quickly overshadowed by an unexpected brawl with the JSS2 students. They laughed off the impending punishment, feeling invincible. But it was during a mundane Christian Religious Studies class that everything changed.

Their CRS teacher, stern and unyielding, told them, "Some of you will not enter the next class." The words hit like a slap, instilling a deep fear in her and her classmates. The threat of failure loomed large, a shadow over their youthful spirits. Some worked harder, driven by dread; others shrugged it off.  However, she felt those words like a curse, haunting her days and nights.

As a child, she believed the teacher wished them to fail, to stay stagnant. The fear was paralyzing. But with time, her perspective shifted. She saw the harsh words as a twisted form of motivation, a push to strive for better. 

The teacher wanted them to succeed, but the method was cruel.

She learned a painful truth: words have immense power. They can build up or tear down, and their impact lingers. She vowed to choose her words wisely, knowing they could shape someone’s future, for better or worse .