The Mfantsiman Old Girls’ Association (MOGA) 2003 Year Group on Saturday organised a mentorship and empowerment summit for more than 1,700 first-year students of Mfantsiman Girls’ Senior High School in the Mfantseman Municipality.
The day-long programme provided guidance on career and life choices, identity, character and the challenges confronting teenage girls, including peer pressure, social media and sexual relationships.
Ms Abena Yalley, a corporate lawyer, urged the students to make deliberate choices rooted in discipline, drawing on her own journey from Mfantsiman Girls to a successful legal career.
“Choices do not happen in a vacuum. They must be backed by discipline,” she said.
She stressed that success depended on daily decisions, including how students used their time, the friends they kept and the commitment they gave to their studies.
Ms Yalley cautioned against negative peer influence, urging the girls to build friendships that encouraged growth rather than distracted them from their academic goals.
She also advised students against adopting a victim mentality, noting that teachers who enforced school rules did so to help them succeed, not to victimise them.
On sexual relationships, she warned that early sexual activity could lead to emotional distress, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and disrupted education.
“Your body, health and future matter,” she said, encouraging abstinence and urging students to seek accurate information and guidance instead of keeping concerns to themselves.
Addressing social media use, Ms Yalley said excessive scrolling, online comparisons and digital distractions often reduced study time, undermined self-esteem and created unrealistic expectations.
“Social media shows highlights, not hard work,” she said, encouraging students to set healthy boundaries and use technology purposefully for learning and personal development.
Ms Mable Madjikie Madjie, a bilingual communications professional, spoke on identity and self-worth, urging the students to become “the woman you decide to be.”
She said identity should not be defined by academic performance, physical appearance, popularity or the opinions of others but by personal values, purpose and character.
Using practical examples of peer pressure, including being persuaded to skip classes, she encouraged the girls to remain courageous, resilient and focused on their goals.
Drawing on her personal experiences, Ms Madjie said discipline, determination and consistent effort were essential ingredients for long-term success.
Ms Priscilla Akonor, a human resource professional, spoke on character and integrity, describing character as doing the right thing even when no one was watching.
She credited the moral values instilled by her parents—including fairness, empathy, responsibility, gratitude, accountability, self-control and contentment—with helping her resist negative influences during her school years.
Mrs Roselyn Ayorkor Sowah, Headmistress of the school, expressed appreciation to the MOGA 2003 Year Group for investing their time, experience and resources in mentoring the students.
She urged the girls to remain focused on their education, avoid promiscuity and uphold the school’s values, while calling on alumni, parents and the wider community to continue supporting the school’s mission of nurturing responsible young women.
GNA
