"I mean, you walked up to a store and asked for a substance that could be harmful to one's life?" She asked.

My name is Maria, I am 22 years old.

I am a graduate of the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN).

I lived the last 10 years of my life in misery. 

Every day I would ask myself 'Is this life?'.

I slept in pain, woke up in pain and spent every hour of the day in pain.

I never anticipated the dawn of a new day.

I found solace only in my sleep and always wished I could sleep forever.

People were scared of death, but I was ready to embrace it.

Growing up, I lived with my dad and siblings.

I was the second of three children- two girls and one boy.

My parents were divorced and so it could be said I was from a broken home.

We were cut off from communication with our mum.

I wonder how much more nature could be unfair to me. 

I was once a happy child until I was 12 years old.

My joy as a child was cut short the night this monster laid his filthy hands on me.

It was about 3 am and I could hear footsteps approaching my room.

My first thought was a ghost. I had read and heard a lot about them.

I brought my sister up to my bosom and held onto her tightly.

She was fast asleep and had no idea what was going on.

I could hear the door open gently. Quickly, I pretended to be fast asleep.

I felt a tap, 'shhhuuuushh' he said trying to silence me.

The voice was familiar. I looked up and behold it was my father.

I felt relieved but wondered why he had snuck into the room.

He held my hand and asked me to walk gently so I didn't make any sound.

He led me to his room. I could see him turn the door knob and it was locked.

He came to the bed, lifted my dress and rubbed the surface of my genitalia.

"Sweet" he muttered, wearing a face of excitement.

He put his hand into my genitalia and I felt a sharp pain.

'Ahhhhhh' I screamed in pain.

He covered my mouth with his hands so no one heard my voice.

He forcefully stole my virginity. He raped me!

I was humiliated. I cried but he threatened to kill me if anyone ever found out.

This went on every day for 10 years and I lived in this pain because I was scared.

Every time school closes, he would send my siblings on holiday to my cousin's house.

He always kept me back with the guise that I was wayward and needed to be kept under watch. 

I wondered when this would come to an end.

He also warned me against other male gender. He didn't even want them as friends.

I already hated men and so it was very easy to stay away from them.

I got pregnant at 16 and he asked me to terminate it.

On one hand, I didn't want to. On second thought, I had to. 

I knew the pain seeing the child would bring me so I had to take it out.

I didn't mind losing my life in the process.

The termination was successful. He decided to let me be.

The pain of the past nights haunted me. Sometimes I would hear the cry of a baby.

I thought it had ended but my brother rekindled the pain.

I kept blaming myself because I was beautiful with attractive physical features.

But could it be it?

I was barely 12 without these curves so why?

I wondered why the people that were to protect me brought me so much pain and hatred.

I didn't let all these affect my academics.

I found little peace at school and was dedicated to having good grades.

I was a loner in my world. I had no friends.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

I wanted to end it. I couldn't continue to live in agony.

I thought about ending my life.

But first, I had to deal with the monster who had made my life a living hell.

I succeeded in getting his food poisoned.

Luckily, he called out for help and got answered. 

He lay unconscious in the hospital. I wished he could just die.

The doctor called me into her office. 

In her, I saw a friend and a beautiful soul.

I explained my ordeal to her and she sympathize with me.

She asked that I see a therapist.

In her words 'you have been through a lot and need healing'.

My father later passed on and my brother was arrested for some crime.

It felt like nature finally smiled at me and I am getting justice. 

I am currently undergoing therapy and I must say; it is not easy because I can not erase the past. 

The people involved might pass on, but the memories remain forever.

This is the story of a girl who has gone through a lot.

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It was a thing of Passion; Micheal loved teaching. Every day he got back from school, he would convene children in the neighbourhood to teach and help with their assignments. 

His Zeal for teaching made it seem as though it was an easy task. After each class, his face was filled with uncontrolled happiness. 

"Chidubem! Chidubem!" His mum called out.

"Ma" he answered.

"I would like to have a brief discussion with you", she said.

Kedu ọrụ ị họọrọ (In Igbo) "What is your chosen profession?" She asked.

"Mum, I would like to be a teacher. I love teaching because it connects me with a large number of people all over the world.

Teaching goes far beyond educating the younger ones. Teaching is a thing of rubbing minds together. When one teaches, they do not only give out information but also receives information.

Teaching is not limited to any age; I interact with both old and young. Through this interchanging of ideas, everybody learns and it is a win for us all." Micheal answered.

She replied, "I love how you expressed yourself but that is not the career I want for you. I want you to be a lawyer. I want people to respect you because of your career. 

When people refer to you, they'll address you as 'Barr Micheal'. Doesn't that sound classy to you?"

"I love the sound of that but it's not what I want. I don't want to choose a career because of the title or the pay. I want to do something because I love it and have a passion for it. Besides, people still get paid for teaching." Michael said.

 The conversation ended with Micheal insisting he would pursue his teaching career. 

The summary of this story leads us to the topic of today- CHOOSING A CAREER. 

WHAT IS A CAREER?

A Career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.

“The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "career" as a person's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)". 

To Choose a career, you must first identify your skills and interests. This is because you need to be motivated to enjoy your work and fulfil your potential.

Next, you explore career ideas. This is the time to regard work experiences. It will give you an insight into the areas you are interested in before committing yourself to a certain career path.

After you must have gained a few experiences, you make a decision. To help make a decision, ask yourself the following questions:

Will I enjoy doing the job every day?

Does it meet most of my preferences?

Do I have the right skills?

If you still struggle to come up with a conclusion, apply the SWOT Analysis. Through this, you identify the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of that career. 

Lastly, Set achievable goals. Your career plan should outline how you'll get to where you want to be, what actions are needed and when, and separated into your short, medium and long-term goals. 

Finally, don't forget that career planning is a continuous process. 

Dear Readers, It is not too late to revisit and review your aims and objectives throughout your career, and don't feel constrained by the goals you've set - the structure of a career plan should help you map out the route to trying something new.

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Catch you tomorrow!