Step out of your comfort zone

By Anaïs Joseph

Today is undoubtedly a celebration. But it’s not only about us, the graduates. It’s first and foremost about God, whoever we perceive Him to be, for giving us the grace and strength to make it through when it seemed we were ready to give up. It’s also about our parents, grandparents, and guardians who went without and sacrificed so that we could have a good education. It’s about our mothers who would constantly call and worry whether we’re getting enough sleep, if we’re eating properly. It’s about our fathers too – as a matter of fact, yesterday was my father’s birthday. I’d like to dedicate my speech to him and by extension all the fathers who have been a source of strength and who supported us in all the practical ways: safe housing, enough money to get by. Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you very much. Our graduation today is also about the boyfriend or girlfriend who made themselves scarce so we could focus on the books. It’s about the friends who made us laugh till we cried when the stresses of school got
overbearing; and those who may not have had an exam the following day but still stayed up with us to make sure we studied and didn’t fall asleep. It’s about the behind-the-scenes workers – guild councillors or admin staff – who went the extra mile to make our stay easier. It’s about the lecturers whose doors were always open and who genuinely cared about our progress. It’s even about the doubles vendor and pie man and those entrepreneurial students who sold snacks and drinks during exam time, making sure we had the energy to stay awake. It’s about all these people, my fellow graduates, because without even a single one of them our journey would have been more difficult, seemed more impossible to achieve. I extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who has thus played a part in our accomplishment.

At a time like this, words fail to express the depth of emotion that filled our heart as we walked across the stage to receive our degree. There is pride and joy that we’ve finally achieved it. There’s excitement at the world of possibilities that is laid out in front of us. There is perhaps the regret that we didn’t do as well as we’d hoped, the fear and anxiety that we may not yet be ready to assume the rigorous demands of adult life. Overriding all these emotions, though, is the huge sense of relief that yes – we are finally out of here!

I’m sure there’s not a single person present here today who can say that their tenure at UWI was always a bed of roses. There have been so many obstacles to overcome. But if it had been easy, if we never shed a tear, let out a swear or held our heads in despair – then how would we have been prepared for the world? The reality is that the stress and time-management and negotiation skills demanded of us in UWI are all tools that we should have developed to be able to effectively face life on the outside. By the same token, I’m sure there’s not a single person here who can say that their tenure at UWI was devoid of joy and happiness. We’ve had our successes – that hard-earned A+, those lifelong friends. It’s my humble belief that the good memories by far overshadow the bad ones, and in fifty years when we look back on the time we spent here, it will be with a smile and maybe even a wistful longing to relive these moments.

The UWI life is like no other. We live in a different time zone from the rest of the country (going to bed when the sun comes up and having breakfast at 3pm). We become lab rats experimenting with all kinds of energy drinks so that we’ll stay up to finish a project. We party all night Wednesday yet we go to class as normal 8am Thursday. Within five seconds we can recognise any Caribbean accent. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have had the privilege of being part of this leading institution and we will carry its mark with pride in whatever corner of the world we end up in.

Our journey does not end here. For some, UWI may have opened our minds to the possibilities of totally different career paths, or reinforced our certainty in the one we chose. Or, it may have fuelled a desire to continue on in the world of education. Whatever your dream, don’t be afraid to dream big, and don’t be afraid to take risks – how else will you know what you are truly capable of? But at the same time, while you’re out there chasing that dream – don’t lose your humanity. Don’t get caught up in the hustle, destroying whoever or whatever is standing in the way of your perceived success.

Instead of your primary goal being to earn money, choose instead to earn the respect of your peers. Instead of wanting to build the biggest house, choose instead to build a reputation based on integrity. Instead of aiming to “step out” in the most expensive, fashionable clothes, step out of your comfort zone and do something, anything, to change the world for the better.

You can be the manager who leads by example with uncompromising ethics. You can be the accountant who refuses to understate profits. You can be the social worker or psychologist who isn’t afraid to speak out on taboo subjects. You can simply be a good spouse and a good parent, leaving the world a better place by the love that you shared.

“Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education” – these are the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Today is the pinnacle of our undergraduate journey at The University of the West Indies. It is the proof that every single one of us has mastered our field of study, struggled and come out victorious. Yet if the only thing that we take out of this three-year experience is a little more knowledge and a piece of paper, we have failed – our lecturers have failed – the University has failed. In this room are gathered the future CEOs, CFOs, bankers, economists, philanthropists, activists, politicians and heads of government who will lead our country, our region and indeed our world for the next few decades. I know that we have the intelligence it takes to develop world-changing policies, to lead innovations in business and research. I hope that we have the character not to let greed, external pressures and self-serving ideals restrict us. My fellow graduates, we have the unbridled potential to shape the future. We can be the generation who makes a difference. Now let’s get out there, and do it!