The Ongpangkong Senso Telongjem Dimapur (OSTD) Academic Trust organised an Academic Excellence Award and Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Awareness Programme at Dimapur Government College on Saturday, honouring Impunenla Pongen for securing the 17th position in the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) HSLC Examination 2026.
Impunenla, who studied at Unity Christian Higher Secondary School and is currently a student of Little Star Higher Secondary School, said her achievement belonged to the Ao community, whose prayers had sustained her. She recalled aspiring to secure a position among the top 20 and said her faith had encouraged her throughout the examination.
Delivering the exhortation, Limatoshi Jamir, Additional Controller and Head of Department of Legal Metrology and Consumer Protection, Government of Nagaland, urged parents to uphold the Ao community’s Christian heritage, commitment to education and compassion for others. Addressing young people, he cautioned against allowing exposure to different lifestyles and perspectives online to create confusion and frustration.
He encouraged youth to learn from others while remaining rooted in their ancestral history and cultural identity. “Be adaptable but do not forget your roots,” he said, calling on young people to become stable, happy and God-fearing individuals.
The second session, themed “Understanding your emotions”, was led by Ketuno Sophie Imchen, counsellor at Roots & Wings, Dimapur. She said mental health was as important as physical health and that feelings such as sadness, anger and stress were normal, although prolonged distress required attention. She reminded participants that a person’s worth was not determined by marks, appearance, popularity or failure, adding that every life had value.
The inaugural session was chaired by Akangjungla, editor of The Morung Express, while Dr Sentisangla Imsong chaired the second session. Rev Dr Lima Jamir, Associate Pastor of DABA, offered the invocation, and Mefutiba, convener of the OSTD Academic Trust, delivered the welcome address. Benjongtoshi, OSTD president, also spoke, while Moajungla Jamir presented a song and Dr Martemjen offered the closing prayer.
The OSTD Academic Excellence Award was instituted in 2022, and five students have received the recognition with cash awards and certificates. Volunteers for both sessions were from Chuchuyimpang Kaketshir Telongjem Dimapur.
