December 2014


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Caution Fee: $500; stationery: $300; photocopies and text books: $1,000; finally graduating from UWI: Priceless.

Dear graduands, it is indeed a great privilege and honour to stand before all of you as your valedictorian and since I know how much we all enjoyed some of the long, boring lectures we had to endure, I have fittingly made my speech equally long and boring to bring back some nostalgia of our good old UWI days.

I remember our first moments at The University of the West Indies as if it were yesterday. The anticipation of the unknown, the trepidation of all the work that lay ahead and sometimes, for the more mature students, the excitement of having an excuse to do less house work are all still clear in my head… boy am I going to miss UWI.

In the School of Education one of our first assignments was to write about ourselves and about what we wanted to achieve at the end of this programme – and while we all wrote about our love for teaching and wanting to make a difference in the lives of our students – one of my classmates also included the words “let these three years flow” …well I wouldn’t say they have flowed, but rather they rushed by. And what a journey it has been!

During our time here we’ve learnt so much outside of the stipulated curriculum, text books and literature.

We’ve learnt how to be a true friend evident by our willingness to tick present for absent friends on the roll. We’ve leant tolerance after dealing with the university’s referencing and formatting regulations and nightmarish group assignments. We’ve learnt to be competitive after dealing with the campus parking situation or lack thereof…you realize quickly it’s a dog eat dog world out there. We’ve learnt courage and persistence after tackling English for Academic Purposes, on more than one occasion for some. We’ve learnt how to be innovative after being forced to come up with excuses on the spot as to why assignments were not submitted on time.

And finally we’ve learnt and mastered the art of multi-tasking as I think we’re all experts at checking Facebook, BBM and Whatsapp while listening to a lecture, doing an assignment or studying for an exam.

Yes the UWI has taught us so many skills needed for the real world.

However, as empowered as we are by the education we have received at this university we must recognize and appreciate that we would not be where we are today without the help of some.

Firstly all thanks to God, in whichever way you see Him in your heart for giving us the strength and guidance through these trying years of study. It is only through His simple mercies that anything becomes possible.

Secondly, to all those parents, spouses, family and friends who stood quietly in the background, taking a backseat while our studies took precedence, thank you all for enduring the countless mood swings, the midnight rants and crying sessions and still supporting us. Your love and commitment gave us fuel and this achievement is as much yours as it is ours.

Thirdly, thank you to The University of the West Indies for providing such a first class learning environment where we had the intellectual, artistic and cultural freedom to think, to serve, to debate, to question and to explore our true potential in our respective fields.

Humanities and Education is by nature a very creative and dynamic faculty and the academic staff chosen to administer the courses were indeed professional, well-versed in their discipline and genuinely cared about providing us with a rich learning environment. In addition, if I can just give some insight about the School of Education which seemed like my home for the past three years, I would be remiss if I did not mention the administrative staff who function so effectively and give so much of themselves outside of their job description. They knew us by name, cared about our problems and went above the call of duty to ensure that solutions were sought.

Now that we have successfully completed our studies, the question now begs itself, what next? Where do we go from here? Well for those of you who believe that your days of learning are over I am here to tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth. As citizens in this fast-paced, technology-driven world where information can be discredited or improved, it is imperative that our learning never stops. It is only through a commitment to lifelong learning that we can increase our knowledge base, add to our arsenal of solutions, keep current and most importantly maintain a competitive edge. The day that we close ourselves off to new ideas is the day we become complacent and obsolete.

As we venture out into the real world we must never fall victim to feeling like we know everything because the truth is we do not. We must be humble and open to suggestions of how we can improve and grow in our thinking and don’t be afraid to try them because while our way might be good, someone may be doing it much better.

In addition, I know we desperately want to have a positive impact on the world and especially the region, but in order to do this we must be committed to leading a life that is filled with the kind of humanity that engenders honesty, kindness, integrity and empathy for our fellow men. As the great poet Maya Angelou profoundly stated, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

So with this in mind I urge those who have studied the arts, use your talent and creativity to inspire and enact positive change in your society and by extension the world. To those that have studied communications and languages use your skill of the written and spoken word to persuade others to do the right thing and lead better, more fulfilling lives and to my fellow educators, we must make it our duty, in addition to focusing on the academics to tap into our student’s psyche and inspire and encourage those who do not possess a sense of self worth and confidence, that they do matter and that they are capable of greatness.

As we close this chapter in our lives and forge ahead we must be mindful of the weighty responsibility entrusted in our hands. As members of this prestigious Faculty of Humanities and Education, we are by nature an intellectual, creative and spirited bunch and as such we must rise to the occasion of nation building through our competencies in music, dance, literature, film, languages, history and education. Further, it is only through our collective love of the arts and learning can we ignite a passion and commitment towards Caribbean development and unity.

To end my address, I wish to congratulate us, the graduating class of 2014, on our amazing academic achievement, we’ve certainly worked long and hard for it and we should relish this moment in time. As we step out of these doors this morning I urge you to remain true to yourself, use your failures as learning experiences and above all else be fearless in the pursuit of your dreams.

Thank you!