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April 2011
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From the Principal: We found 50 ways, Celebrating our Distinguished Alumni
It has always been a source of personal pride to reflect on the range and caliber of the graduates of the St. Augustine Campus of The UWI. Where ever I venture, whether it be into the various communities and establishments locally, regionally or internationally, I am impressed by the many accomplishments of our graduates and what good work they are doing. I have often publicly said that this region is really in the hands of UWI graduates, because in significant numbers, they are the ones charting its course, whether it is as prime ministers, politicians, first-rate professionals in so many fields, academics, entrepreneurs or artistes. I recently saw some of our accomplished graduates in Toronto as well, where many were celebrated at our fund-raising Gala. Naturally, I was in full support of the initiative taken by the St. Augustine Campus and the UWI Alumni Association to hold a Distinguished Alumni Awards event on April 2. Although everyone knows that our distinguished alumni run into the thousands, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Campus’ own half-century, the honours were manifestly conferred on 50. These fifty are each outstanding ambassadors for our University, because in their own disparate ways, they fit the mold of the ideal UWI graduate: a critical, creative, innovative, informed and knowledgeable thinker and problem solver who communicates effectively, is a leader and team player, is socially and culturally responsive, operates ethically with a regional frame of reference and is motivated to be a life-long learner. It is always a difficult task to pluck a few flowers from a garden that is teeming with beautiful blossoms. One has to content oneself with imagining that the bouquet so gathered is at least representative of those still left in the soil. And so, as I said at the ceremony, by celebrating a few, I hope our Campus and our University are honouring and inspiring the whole, just as they have honoured and inspired us. I congratulate all who were recognized and what great company to have been in. Clement K. Sankat |
