February 17, 2011

Fellow Alumni:

A Sacrifice Most Appreciated

Most of us may not know Kevin Lee.

At a very early age, Kevin lived at Aiyetoro with his parents Frank and Sylvia Lee when his dad, Frank Lee taught Technical Subjects at our alma mater from 1965 to 1970. Kevin had since earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in English Language. He had taught English as a Visiting Professor in some Universities in South Korea where he now lives.

In December 2010 after the reunion of the AACHSA, USA Chapter at Boston which his parents attended, Kevin contacted the Chapter with a request to conduct a two week course in remedial reading and writing for students at Aiyetoro Junior Secondary School (JSS).

After a series of communication with Kevin and the school, we are pleased to inform you that Kevin is currently at Aiyetoro teaching 15 students of the JSS the remedial course which is modeled after the Basic Writing and Reading program developed by Bartholomae and Petrosky. The course supplements the JSS English Language curriculum and the objective as outlined in the synopsis submitted by Kevin is to grow students’ own ideas and theories on subjects that include self-actualization and society, allowing students to develop command of activities basic to academic study: reading, writing, interpretation, report and discussion.

Each student needed two novels which the association procured and shipped from New York on January 26 2011. Kevin took care of his visa cost, flight tickets, hotel accommodation and lodging at Aiyetoro.

Apart from the financial cost of the trip, Kevin is faced with infrastructural problems that Nigerians grapple with daily: lack of running warm water for bath, sporadic power supply and so on. He has on occasions had to use dim glow from a torch light to mark student assignments when the hotel generator was not functioning. He had taken all these challenges in good stride.
From feedback provided by Elder Fajobi, the Principal of the JSS, Kevin’s presence alone at the school has helped in no small way to motivate many students including those not in his course. The faces of the students really lit up when they received their two novels for the program.

Some light is being seen in a dark tunnel; many are touched and inspired that a complete stranger could come from such a far away land to help them with their studies. It is hoped that the impact of his visit would continue well after he departs Aiyetoro.

Kevin could have remained in the comfort of his home in South Korea but he chose to visit our alma mater and help students. His coming to Aiyetoro is a sacrifice that is most appreciated.
On behalf of the entire alumni community, I thank Kevin for his help, service, selflessness and contribution to the academic improvement of the students at The Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro.

I wish him safe journey when he goes back and look forward to continuing the good relationship that he has started.

Kola Ogunyomade
President AACHSA USA Chapter