December 2015


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While I stand before you this afternoon to deliver this address, I am no different from you, I am one of you, simply standing and not sitting at this present moment. We all travelled the same road, (we may have taken different paths along the way and encountered different obstacles) but we have finally arrived at our destination. And so, let me begin by extending my warmest and most heartfelt congratulations to you, the Graduating Class of the Faculty of Social Sciences 2015. We did it!

However, I am sure we can all agree that we did not do it alone. First and foremost, I give thanks to God for without Him we literally would not be here. To our support systems, thank you for listening while we ranted about that difficult exam, encouraging us when we were close to giving up and applauding us on our mini accomplishments along the way. We now applaud you. To our lecturers, thank you for pushing and stretching us beyond our limits, for it is through this that we were not only able to realise our true potential but also discover that the human body can survive without sleep for 24 hours+ (plus). To the administration and staff of The University of the West Indies, we thank you for not only facilitating our time here and rectifying any issues we may have experienced but also for the occasional, spontaneous and much needed workouts as we walk from main admin to student admin and back again or running from the ground floor to the 3rd floor of the library to SAC and the Soc Sci lab in order to print the group accountability statement minutes before the lecturer arrives.

I recall three years ago when we filled this very auditorium for UWI Life, unaware of what to expect and excited to begin a new chapter, filled with hopes, dreams and plans that this time I’m going to study every night! This time I’m really going to be focused and work hard. This time, every day I’m going to read a chapter and review what we did in class. And so, as the journey began we hit the road running, putting in extra hours of sleep…I mean, study everyday. At this seminar, the Principal spoke of the exhilarating journey we would make over the next few years to cross this very stage, which at the time, seemed like the distant future. Yet, here we are, in the blink of an eye, seated in those very seats we were in three or four years ago, certificates in hand and ready to face the world. However, I ask you to consider this: what really makes you different from the hundreds of us that have just crossed this stage with the same type of degree, from the same institution? You have received a piece of paper, yes; a testament to the fact that you signed your name on the attendance register (or asked your friend to do so), worked as a team (or did the entire project on your own) and have written and passed the exams (by the grace of God). A piece of paper that, no doubt, you worked very hard for but what are you going to do with it? What sets you apart? You have a responsibility to give character to that piece of paper, you have an obligation to put value to it, to differentiate it from the hundreds of pieces of paper that fill this room.

While we may not have been consciously aware of it, our experiences here at the UWI have already contributed to the development of this character to which we will attach our certificates. We’ve learned to face our fears and overcome our biggest challenges aka English for Academic Purposes and Introduction to Statistics (if you know what I mean). Through our tenure at the University and our inevitable interactions with others, we’ve concreted the foundation of this character in which we should take pride. Unfortunately, the common complaint and harsh reality is that UWI graduates are no longer “what they used to be”. However, I present to you the ultimate truth: you determine the quality of graduates that come out of this University. You are directly responsible for changing this image and you have been equipped with the necessary tools and resources to do so during your time here. The ball is now in your court.

I therefore encourage you to: be a force to be reckoned with, make positive changes, stand up for what you know is right and allow your light to brilliantly shine because no one can do it for you. Furthermore, if you don’t, who will? Once again, you have received a piece of paper but as we exit these doors, close this chapter and embark upon an entirely new one, let us not forget to take along with our certificates the conviction that we can make a difference. The power is in your hands. What will you do with it?

I thank you.