 This year against all odds, a former Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) worker Monifa Dennis graduated with a Bachelor of Education Degree first class honours from The UWI St. Augustine. Five days before her birthday, she also won the TELMAS Award for the most outstanding graduating student from the School of Education.
She never dreamed of this achievement when she was cutting grass along the Priority Bus Route, as a young mother. Monifa had no CXC passes and she had a child to support. But she had a dream. As she laboured early every morning for a minimum wage, Monifa yearned for a better life. She finally got a tiny breakthrough when she enrolled in government sponsored courses in upholstery, draperies and soft furnishings in her area community centre.
Emotionally, Monifa recounts that she once lived in rural Las Cuevas. With no mother to defend her, at age16 she ran away from her abusive father. She had no income and life was very difficult. That’s when she sought employment through URP. It was her main source of income for many years. Monifa became a mother at age twenty and it was not until she turned 27 that she began to seriously reflect that her life’s dreams were not being accomplished. She believed that God heard her plight and sent someone to ask her to “help out” at an Early Childhood Centre.
That opportunity she says helped pave the way to her present standing.
Although she possessed no CXC passes, Monifa was treated with respect by the teachers at the preschool and she did her best to help the children. One day, unknown to her a visiting supervisor from Servol observed her interactions with the children. She was impressed and encouraged Monifa to obtain training. In 2005 she enrolled in the Early Childhood Certificate programme with Servol. She graduated at the top of her class two years later. This encouraged her to pursue higher education, so she did her first CXC exam and got a distinction. Elated, she said to herself, “But Monifa you bright!”
Over a three-year period she attained six CXC passes. In 2012 she submitted an application to enroll in the Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Care and Education Programme at The UWI. Days before the start of the new academic year she got an email that her application was not accepted.
In keeping with her philosophy of, “I did not get this far to accept defeat,” Monifa “marched up” to the University to seek answers for the rejection. She was advised that her application was missing supporting documents. Armed with duplicates of all documents requested, she presented them to the admissions clerk who matched them against what was presented on the system. The missing paperwork was accepted and she was advised to wait on word from the university.
“True to her word, that week the application was reconsidered and in the middle of September, two days before the matriculation ceremony, I was accepted to pursue studies in Early Childhood Care and Education at UWI St Augustine,” she said.
Today, she gratefully acknowledges the support of her husband of 25 years and her 20-year-old-daughter. They stood by her side through the first leg of her university journey. For Monifa, completing her undergraduate degree at the top of her class is only the beginning. She plans to enroll in the Master of Education programme to be better equipped to fight for the rights of young children and to be an agent of change and a positive contributor to society. Her mission is by word and deed to encourage young persons who feel that they can’t make it and may want to give up, to keep on trying. She tells her story so that others may know that there is hope if you have faith, persevere and do something to help yourself out of your situation.
The Bachelor of Education (BEd) Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
The Bachelor of Education (BEd) Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is a 3-year full-time programme (Evening) designed to provide professional development for teachers who work with young children. It is offered at The School of Education, UWI St. Augustine. Graduates who meet the GPA requirements can apply for seamless transition into the Master of Education Programme and later the PhD programme at The UWI, St Augustine.
To be considered for this programme you should have at least 5 CSEC or equivalent O’ level subjects one of which must be English language. You also need a Certificate or Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education or evidence of partial completion of a degree in the field. Persons over 21 years with experience and some CXC or GCE passes may also apply. The BEd ECCE is a 90 credit programme which includes professional ECCE courses, foundation courses and core teaching courses. The programme is delivered in the Blended Mode; some classes are face-to face and some are online. Students need access to a computer and the internet for this programme.
For further information contact the Administrative Assistant student affairs: anita.khoon-khoon-ali@sta.uwi.edu Tel: 868-662-2002 Exts. 82127/82118/82119.
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