BY Daniel Bampoe
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, has reflected on his formative years at St. Augustine’s College as he returned to the school to chair its 96th Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration, describing the moment as both emotional and deeply significant.
According to the legislator, his journey with the prestigious Cape Coast-based institution began about 27 years ago when his late uncle, Professor Dominic Kofi Agyeman, who at the time served as Chairman of the Governing Board of St. Augustine’s College, personally escorted him through the gates of the school. 
Like many other young boys arriving for the first time, Sammi Awuku recalled that the environment initially felt unfamiliar and intimidating. The new students, drawn from diverse homes and backgrounds, were uncertain and quietly observing one another with curiosity and caution.
Despite the uncertainty, he said there was a shared resolve among them to forge friendships, build strong brotherhoods and grow together within the walls of the historic institution.
Sammi Awuku recounted that one of the earliest moments that shaped his outlook as a young student occurred during his first Speech and Prize-Giving Day as a first-year student. On that occasion, his uncle, despite being the Chairman of the school’s governing board, emphasized that discipline and fairness were central to the school’s values.
He made it clear that any student who broke the rules would face the appropriate consequences, stressing that even his own nephew would not be exempt.
The MP noted that the lesson left a lasting impression on him, reinforcing the importance of integrity, discipline and accountability in life.
He explained that after spending several years at the institution, he eventually graduated from St. Augustine’s College about 25 years ago, leaving with what he described as a well-shaped mindset and a character molded by the school’s values.
Sammi Awuku indicated that the school’s guiding motto, “Perseverantia Omnia Vincit” — meaning perseverance conquers all — became a philosophy that has continued to influence his life and career.
Now, a quarter of a century after leaving the school, Awuku said returning to the campus as an accomplished alumnus and Chairman for the 96th anniversary celebrations of the college was a moment of pride and reflection.
He observed that the once young and uncertain boys who walked through the school gates decades ago have now grown into men contributing to society in various ways.
While celebrating the milestone anniversary, the Akuapem North MP also used the occasion to remember former colleagues and alumni who have passed away over the years.
He paid tribute to their memories and prayed for the peaceful repose of their souls, while expressing gratitude to God for the lives of those who are still alive to witness the occasion.
Sammi Awuku congratulated the school community and his fellow alumni on the milestone celebration, emphasizing that the institution continues to shape generations of young men through discipline, education, and perseverance.
Marking the historic occasion, he described the 96th anniversary celebration as a proud moment not Theyonly for the school but also for the alumni who once walked its corridors as students and have now returned to celebrate the legacy of St. Augustine’s College.
