He hails from Amhara Region from Debremarkos zone in Yejubie district. This 25-year-old slim boy has fire in the belly and stars in his eyes as he nurtures desire to be a scientist.

Seife Belete Ergete from Hydraulics & Water Resources Engineering has won the gold medal with GPA 3.81. For him gold medal is a shot in the arm, which helps one to surge ahead in life.

On what prompted him to chose this subject, he said, ‘‘Ethiopia has perennial electricity problem, therefore, I thought why not join Arba Minch Institute of Technology, which before five years was the best Institute in entire East Africa. So, to acquire knowledge and to contribute something towards the development of my country, I have chosen this subject.’’

His future plan is to go for Master in his subject and also try for scholarship from America as he is more interested for research. Of his 12 subjects which he studied in final years, Integrated River Basin Management was close to his heart.

He said, he could make headway because he had a proper study plan in place. ‘‘I was very punctual in study, I would spend at least four hours in library browsing through books and also devote two hours at my room.’’

‘‘It was because of God’s blessings I could achieve this. I would give special thanks to my uncle Yoseph Shiferaw, ICT Director in Bahir Dar University. I also hold all AMU teachers in high esteem as they had been very kind and considerate,’’ he said.

His father Belete Ergete is a school teacher in Yejubie, mother Genet is a housewife. His elder sister Ruth is studying Master in Economics from Bahir Dar University.

By Philips Joseph