Adaugo Nwankpa: Lessons from 5 Years of Hosting The Writing Class

The journey of a thousand miles, they say, begins with a step. For me, that step was randomly telling a few friends that I was thinking of hosting a class to teach business people how to tell better stories and write better. That class became The Writing Class 1.0

Now, five years later, I look back at that one decision and the hundreds of young people who have been impacted afterwards, and I am thrilled at how one moment can be so pivotal. More than anything, I am deeply grateful to God for this gift and the privilege of stewarding this vision and watching it grow and blossom into something bigger than myself.

As we close the curtains on this journey, this article is an attempt to share 5 key lessons that I gleaned from my experience over the past five years.

There is Always Something to Give

Naira and kobo, dollars and cents, have made us shortsighted when we think of giving to others or giving back to society. Many times, there is a yearning to give back to the community, but our disposable income can make us seemingly handicapped. 

In reality, however, there is always something you can give: your time, knowledge, access to your network, and lots more.

The Best Way to Know is to Do

As a statistician by academic background, I believe in the power of research. But sometimes, trying to research and know for sure before you get into action can stall you. In fact, the best research is done in the field. As you keep experimenting with your process, frameworks and strategies, you eventually find out what works. Go do the thing.

Consistency is Dynamic

In the third year of the Writing Class, I had such great and grand plans, but in between being a corps member, adapting to a new city, and being exhausted at the time, my grand plans fell through. That year, the Writing Class almost did not happen. But when I saw a gap in the literacy skills of the JSS2 students I was teaching computer science as a corps member, I knew I had to do something. 

That something became the Writing Class 3.0 and one of my fondest classes to date because of the deep impact it had on the literacy and confidence of those young girls. It was not as grand as my initial plans, but it was rich and rewarding.

Lean Into Your Superpower

Beauty, wealth, wittiness, humour, physical strength, etc., we all have the thing that makes us special. For me, it is people. Leaning into the brilliance of other remarkable people is what made every single year successful. 

On my own, I may not have made it through these five years without burning out, but the support of friends and industry colleagues who were so kind to give their time and share their knowledge made it a reality.

Growth Comes With Action

The selection for the fifth and final edition of The Writing Class was the hardest because we did not anticipate the overwhelming number of applications we received. It was larger than the sum of all applications in previous years. We eventually had to expand the selection to accommodate more people than we initially planned. This taught me that no matter how small you start, with time and consistency, growth simply follows. 

On that note, just start. You never know how much is waiting on the other side of action. You can access the 5-year report of The Writing Class here for free.