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December 2014 |
A few years ago, we started this journey by looking for our names on the acceptance list outside TCB3 classroom. Today, we celebrate the end of this journey with our names on a degree from The University of the West Indies. Who knows where our names will be next? Congratulations graduating class of 2014; we made it! Gratitude to those who helped UWI has joined with our friends and families in making us who we are today, and has empowered us to make our contribution to this world. It is on this note, that I take the time, on behalf of the graduates, to say to all those who helped us along this journey; thank you for your support, words of encouragement and your prayers, for without you this the opportunity to learn would be impossible. Lessons at UWI At UWI, we were educated both inside and outside the classrooms. The bonds created during our faculty week, with our dedicated involvements in extracurricular activities can all attest to us having a full UWI life and becoming well-rounded individuals. The journey was difficult at times, with sleepless nights, travelling for hours to reach to class, being away from home, studying on hungry stomachs, all this combined with persistent and demanding lecturers who nurtured the potential within us. Through faith, dedication, perseverance and diligence, we are now alumni of UWI. UWI Ambassadors 2014 Today, we take pride in our Caribbean identity. UWI remains the academic hub for the region, a global brand recognizable everywhere. The renowned high academic quality of our people is visible everywhere and even visible today as I look at you sitting here. We are aware of our duties as ambassadors for this university and the region, as we strive to make our mark in this international community and improve regional autonomy. The New Journey Graduates, a new journey has started after that faithful day when we were told ‘stop all writing’ at our final exams at UWI. And today I see faces of excitement, anticipation and ambition. Let us embrace the adventures of life with enthusiasm and continue to writing on the pages of this world with the ink of our daily lives. Let us make the many uncertainties ahead of us into opportunities to make the world a better place. The Power to Serve Coming from a simple background, it is humbling to speak to you, the world’s future leaders all in one place at the same time. So, please permit me to remind you of three simple, yet powerful words on behalf of persons like myself. These words are: We need you! You the lawyers and engineers, our community needs us, our region needs us and our world needs us. I have heard comments that our generation is concerned only about ‘me, myself and I.’ But first, let us take a selfie framed in selflessness. To whom much is given, much is expected. UWI has given us knowledge to serve our generation with excellence. The Power of Knowledge If Nelson Mandela were to speak to us today, he would say “You can change the world because you have the powerful weapon of education.” There is much unrest in our present world. But, we have been empowered to assist the powerless and vulnerable. This powerful weapon is to curb the war on national, regional and global issues, including poverty, ignorance, human trafficking and religious suppression to name a few. The Power of Love If Mahatma Gandhi were to speak to us today, he would say, “the day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” All of our achievements become meaningless if we do not live in love. One important lesson, I have learned in life is to love others as I love myself and see value in people simply because they breathe. If Mother Teresa were to speak to us today, she would say, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” It is my desire that this graduating class of 2014, will walk from these walls of UWI with a degree in hand and love in our hearts. A Life of Purpose and Final Commission As we leave UWI, let us live life to the fullest, so we can reflect while on our dying beds and be satisfied that we did our part in this earth. The way we can gain satisfaction from this life is to live a life of purpose. Many of us will take different paths, but UWI has given us the necessary tools to enhance our purpose on earth. As I conclude, UWI, our families and friends have done their part, we are now commissioned ‘to go into all the world and be the change we want to see.’ All the best to you my fellow graduates of the class of 2014 and may God bless our world.
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