UWI St Augustine’s 2023 valedictorians belong to a unique cohort. Among the first students to have had a mostly virtual university experience, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve learnt resilience. They found community and connection through screens and keyboards, and found strength in the people around them. They now all hold a firm understanding of community and their place in it, and already know how they want to contribute to our region and the world. Here, they tell us about their passions, hopes and dreams, and share words of wisdom.
Faculties of Science and Technology and Food and Agriculture
Major: Human Nutrition and Dietetics
Celeste always had a knack for learning. “School was my thing,” she says, sharing that she always wanted to be a teacher. Yet, when she was introduced to food and nutrition in Form 3, she was captivated. “To research and learn about food was really eye-opening,” she asserted, and the fact that she could instantly apply what she learned was particularly appealing. So, when she applied to UWI, her field of study was clear.
Three years later, the CAPE scholarship winner is graduating as the valedictorian of the Faculties of Science and Technology and Food and Agriculture. “It’s really an honour to even be considered… to have my voice be heard and valued,” she says.
She credits her parents for giving her the “confidence to take more risks” and encouraging her to do her best, and she advises current students to “find true and genuine people who will believe in you and want to see you succeed”.
Faculty of Social Sciences
Major: Management
That Ronaldo is graduating as one of the Faculty of Social Sciences’ valedictorians should come as no surprise. His strategy was clear. He worked hard, managed his time, set goals, and sought advice from his lecturers. Yet, he never expected to become valedictorian. His goal was simply to excel.
To him, being valedictorian means that “the sky really is the limit. There is nothing you cannot do as long as you give your all and continue to be persistent.”
Now, as the first member of his family to attend university, Ronaldo has made them proud. And, as a former student of a secondary school that may not have been considered of the highest calibre, he is happy to be a reflection of how “you could aim for the stars” and excel in “anything you put your mind to, especially when you put in the work”.
Ronaldo’s Management major is the first step on his path to a career in Human Resources (HR), and he has goals of changing the perception of HR for employees within organisations nationwide.
Faculty of Social Sciences
Specialisation: International Relations
Minor: Social Development Policy and Planning
Kyle has a big vision for the Caribbean – to make it a community. “I really believe, as Caribbean people, we should have the accessibility and freedom to move and interact within the region as a singular people.”
Kyle fell in love with International Relations from the beginning of his degree. “I’ve always been fascinated by the way the world works...You often hear about things going on in the world and the Caribbean is not always included in that.”
Initially, the former Student Guild Vice President admits that he was terrified about applying to UWI, but as the first person from his family to attend university, he was grateful for the opportunity, and drew on the wealth of support he found in his friends to pull through.
Three years later, as one of the Faculty of Social Sciences’ valedictorians, his role is as a champion: “for my parents... the things that they aspired to that they couldn’t do, the people in my family who have had to make hard decisions and put their aspirations on the back burner, for the people who didn't have the opportunity, and for so many people that have helped me”.
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
As a wife and mother with a part-time job, Marsha’s road was tough. Yet, with her family by her side, she persevered and emerged as the Faculty of Medical Sciences’ (FMS) 2023 valedictorian.
“My husband and my children, they are so supportive,” she says, “[their] excitement when I have my own little adventures, it's just rewarding in itself. So, I feel compelled to do things to make them proud.”
Marsha also credits her classmates for pushing her to apply for the title of valedictorian, so she is excited to represent them. Being valedictorian, she says, makes her feel like a role model, and she is elated.
Having been drawn to medicine by her compassion and care for others, Marsha’s heart is set on family medicine, working in a health centre where she can spend time with her patients and give them the attention they need.
She advises FMS students to be compassionate and to “be their brothers’ keepers, because it's a competitive faculty, and we need to lift everybody up. We'll all get there.”
Faculties of Humanities and Education and Sport
Major: Communication Studies
A bubbly young lady with a love of people and helping, and a particular talent for grasping opportunity, a career in Communications seems fitting for Shaienne. “I realised that I could have seen myself... liking that discipline for the rest of my life,” she says, “because above all else, I wanted to prioritise my happiness.”
Her drive to find happiness and connection set her on a trajectory to success. Determined to meet people and enjoy a full campus life despite the virtual world of 2020, she reached out to classmates and took advantage of one of UWI’s greatest resources, the Student Guild, whose president encouraged her to become her faculty’s representative. She said yes and “everything just started unfolding for me. I met lots of new people, got involved in a lot of other extracurricular activities, and took advantage of all UWI had to offer. I was applying my purpose.”
As the 2023 valedictorian of the Faculties of Humanities and Education and Sport, she recognises the value of “saying yes and taking chances” and advises students to embrace the university’s resources and “know that you’re not on the journey alone”.
Faculties of Engineering and Law
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Lane’s love for maths knows no bounds, yet he wanted a dynamic career. “I wanted something where I could apply what I learnt and do something that was meaningful to me,” he shares.
So, when UWI enrolment came round in 2019 and he had to pick his degree programme, the Faculty of Engineering was perfect. He also had an affinity for science and technology, and his chosen major in Electrical and Computer Engineering gave him the opportunity to combine all his favourite subjects. Then, he found his passion, Communications Systems, the facilitator of the virtual world in which we find connection, entertainment and education.
Today, the valedictorian for the Faculties of Engineering and Law is reaping the rewards of following his instinct and not giving up on his first love. His advice to students? “You must do what you love and love what you do. Select that degree that aligns with what you want to be in the future. Make sure it's something you are passionate about.”.
