At the time of writing, the celebrations (at least the formal ones) have been completed. The graduation gowns have been put up. The inspirational speeches have all been read. The proud loved ones have given their tearful congratulations. The UWI St Augustine 2021 Virtual Graduation ceremonies were a successful recognition of the achievements of our students and a poignant moment with which to close this chapter of their life journeys.
For the second year in a row, the ceremonies took place virtually, a result of the pandemic and the need to ensure the safety of the campus community. Of course, we all miss the fellowship of in-person ceremonies and the resonance of the grand gathering. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the quality of these online ceremonies, and I wish to congratulate everyone involved in bringing them to fruition – from organisers to the graduates themselves.
For the graduating class of 2021, I wish them great success, prosperity and happiness. Attaining a university degree from a quality institution such as The UWI is no simple task. Even in the best of circumstances, they have been required to perform at a very high level to complete their programmes. As we all know, these are not the best circumstances. We are in the second year of a disruptive pandemic that has upended nearly all facets of life – including education. It has been a struggle, but our graduates prevailed.
I want all of our graduates, for their own sake, to have lives filled with successes based on their discipline and hard work. Of course, they should take time to rest and reflect, and engage in spiritual and emotional regeneration.
American statesman, orator and writer Frederick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement, said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”. I would like our graduates to remember this quote as they go forward. It may be hard to believe, with their backs still sore from the monumental effort to complete their degrees, but they will look back on their UWI days, hardships and all, as some of their best.
One of the ironies of life is that we find purpose and meaning from struggle. For many of our younger undergraduate degree holders in particular, the world they are entering for the first time is no longer one of constant academic pursuit and assessment. They spent the majority of their lives on an educational quest, and although that quest was work intensive and filled with pressure, it was a quest all the same, a life adventure through which they could experience progress.
Now, they are required to shape their own quest. This is one of the frightening, yet essential, aspects of adulthood. We are all called upon to be self-directed, and take responsibility for our fulfilment in work and life. Understand, failure is not the only risk in life. There is also the risk of stagnation.
I want all of our graduates, for their own sake, to have lives filled with successes based on their discipline and hard work. Of course, they should take time to rest and reflect, and engage in spiritual and emotional regeneration. However, the same effort they put into attending classes, working with their peers, studying for hours upon hours, spending sleepless nights preparing for exams, and giving their very essences to complete projects, should be put into their life pursuits.
Create art, build a business, revolutionise an industry, become a master teacher, rescue communities, save lives, or just give their best for the people and organisations that rely on them, live life with the same passion and commitment that got them to the virtual stage in their UWI robes to receive their degrees.
It sounds like hard work. It certainly is, and they will look back, just as they looked back at their time at the St Augustine Campus, and smile at the time well-spent, and the quest well completed.
On behalf of the campus community of UWI St Augustine, I congratulate the graduating class of 2021.
