Karena Seetaldass, a graduate of the Department of Geography in UWI St Augustine’s Faculty of Food and Agriculture, smiles after receiving her canister at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at The UWI SPEC. Over 2,800 students took part in the 2023 graduation ceremonies held from October 26 to 28 on the St Augustine campus alone. Ceremonies were also held for The UWI’s other campuses (Five Islands, Cave Hill, Mona, and the Global Campus) in the Caribbean. This year was extra special because the ceremonies coincided with the university’s 75th anniversary under the theme Rooted. Ready. Rising. PHOTO: MOOKISH HARRYPAUL/LIFE VIDEO PRODUCTIONS
On Saturday, October 28, UWI St Augustine held the third and final day of the 2023 graduation ceremonies. That morning, taking my seat among the anxious and expectant crowd of family and friends, I saw an old acquaintance from my own days as a UWI student.
I remember him as a limer, a footballer competent in the mid-field, a card player, and a book-beater. That day at the UWI SPEC graduation ceremony, he was a very proud parent. And so the wheel turns. And so a new chapter is written.
Years ago, it was our parents in that audience, and one day, God willing, his daughter will be in that happy gathering in the stands waiting for a special graduate to cross the stage.
We talk about legacy often on the St Augustine campus. This year, the 75 years since the birth of The University of the West Indies, legacy is like a meditation for the campus community. Over 250,000 graduates have passed through The UWI’s campuses throughout the region. They make up our leaders, our artists, our thinkers, and our doers. That’s a breathtaking legacy.
But as we celebrate the grand achievements, we shouldn’t forget the personal connections. Those hundreds of thousands also make up our families, our mentors, and our friends, the people that have made positive impacts on our lives.
In this way, UWI is like an extended family, a family based on the need to develop our people, explore ideas, solve society’s problems, and build our nation and region. And graduation day is when the newest family members leave the nest, ready to advance themselves and play their part.
What a fine 75-year tradition! What an enthralling Caribbean story. Congratulations, Graduating Class of 2023. We look forward to seeing your story unfold.
