You can’t almost succeed, Munro alum tells class of 2019
At a mere 25 years old, Karon Lewis has learned a critical lesson in life: Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.
It is one which was imparted casually during bird shoting escapades with his father in Bull Savannah, in south-eastern St Elizabeth where he grew up, but one which has stuck.
Lewis, a client relationship officer in the parish of St Elizabeth with JN Bank, sought to pay it forward when he addressed the graduating class of 2019 at his alma mater a few weeks ago, telling them to never be satisfied with being “average”.
The Munro old boy is a member of the St Elizabeth Parish Committee for the Governor General’s Youth Awards, which selects worthy recipients of the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards. He is also an I Believe ambassador.
While at Munro he was head prefect; valedictorian of his class, head of house for Harrison House; prefect, peer counsellor and president of the Munro Debating Society. He also played leadership roles in several other clubs and societies. In August 2014 he received the Governor General’s Achievement Award for Excellence in leadership, academics and community development for the parish of St Elizabeth, and was subsequently nominated for the Council of Voluntary Social Services Young Leaders Award.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in economics with a minor in international relations from The University of the West Indies, Mona, where he was also active in student representation.
In his address to the 2019 class, not much younger than he is, Lewis talked about the bird-shooting lesson his father taught, stressing, “almost never kills the bird.”
“Two of my cousins and I were shooting birds, but the three of us together could not be one bird shooter; but we pressed on,” he said, reminiscing about his boyhood summers. “Daddy was always our biggest fan. He was the one who always had to build our slings, or as we called them back then, ‘spurs’.”
Lewis continued his story: “He was always enquiring about the day’s kill, and more often than not, the count stood at zero. One afternoon I came home brimming with pride. When he enquired about the day’s activities I told him we almost killed a ground dove. He responded by saying: ‘Almost never kills the bird’.”
The lesson stuck with Lewis; and he used it to make his point to the 125 young men.
“Gentlemen, you can’t almost succeed. You can’t almost pass that final exam. You can’t almost leave a legacy, because at the end of the day, it does not count. You can’t almost kill the bird,” Lewis said.
He said “almost” is the demarcation which one must cross over to achieve success; therefore, one cannot be satisfied with simply getting to the line.
“Almost” represents the line between you and the actual. It is what is responsible for you becoming an average version of yourself, or actually becoming your truest self — and I am very certain that none of you struggled to come this far to become just average,” he told the young men.
Lewis went on to encourage the Munronians to set a vision for what they want to achieve, even if they don’t have a specific plan in place at this point. Quoting media mogul Oprah Winfrey he told them that:
“You want to be the drivers of your own lives, because unless you are your own drivers, life will drive you.”
Using the story of Calbert Thomas, principal of Seaforth High School, to drive home the point, he stressed the importance of having big, positive dreams, and following them through regardless of what others think of them or the obstacles that may emerge. Thomas, who was a vendor at the gates of Seaforth High School in St Thomas, eventually became a teacher there and rose through the ranks to become the school’s principal.
Lewis said that in order to make excellence one’s brand, similar to Principal Thomas, one must make a habit of it.
“Being excellent doesn’t mean that you won’t fail, or that you won’t make mistakes. The challenge is presented when you fail to get up, or learn from the mistakes you made,” he advised.
Finally, Lewis reminded the graduates about the importance of serving others and the significance of character. He said when people become conscious that their role in life is not merely to serve their own interests but to also serve others, then they would begin to understand the purpose of life.
“The beauty about serving others is that you are also serving yourselves,” he quipped, as he emphasised the emotional and health benefits of philanthropy.
He encouraged the young men to always remember to serve those who helped them along the way, and to give back so that others can benefit and succeed just as they have. Remembering his own struggle through poverty in Bull Savannah, he reminded the Munronians to always remember the hard work and sacrifices of their parents and guardians.
“When you came to this institution, you stepped in as little boys. Today, you are big men. Never for a second think that you did it on your own,” he reminded the young men.
Lewis also stated that character was still the best currency. Making a connection to his job at JN Bank, he underlined that character plays an important part in how decisions are made about who to lend to.
“It is easy to show off about your calibre; but it’s your character that will set you apart from the crowd,” he affirmed.