When determination and hard work leads to success

18-year old Innocent Bushayija’s future looks very bright. Having a firm believe in determination and hard work propelled him to score straight in his Mathematics-Physics combination to emerge the best student in Petit Seminaire Rwesero and the sixth overall countrywide. Bushayija’s winning streak is not something enetirely new. In 2005, during the O’ Level national exams, he was among the best students in Ngoma district with 8.8 out of 11 points where he was a student at Petit Seminaire Zaza. Further still Bushayija was among the 20 students who won the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) scholarships during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 competitions. The competition brought together students from different schools countrywide. Over 100 students competed in answering questions in which only the best 20 were selected, including Bushayija, who went ahead and won an RRA scholarship for a year. For three consecutive years Bushayija never missed out on the list. “I was determined to compete on an equal footing with students from one of the best schools in the country. Having trounced some of them I gained strength that I can even do much better at the national exams’ level,” says the ever happy youngster. “These competitions gave me much courage that everything can be possible if you are determined to works hard,” he added upon being contacted by New Times. “Besides my lovely parents, relatives and teachers who played a big role in my success, I thank RRA for having organised these competitions that I can say gave me much confidence that I can prosper in my studies.” The fourth born in the family of five Bushayija says he all along wanted to become an Engineer. “This is exactly what I will pursue at the university,” he says. Ends