November 2012


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It is with great pride and joy that I have accepted the responsibility of saying these words to inspire the hearts of you the listeners. I hope that my words however, would echo humility but yet have the strength to resonate the collective ambitions and accomplishments of this fine class.

You are seated in this hall because you had faith, you persevered, you fought and you emerged victorious. Our time at UWI did more than just empower our minds with academic concepts and ideas, but bestowed upon us, the all too valuable life skills that we would need to take on the world as independent thinkers. Thank you UWI for giving us this strength of character and determination. The hidden curriculum has invited us into a classroom of camaraderie. From Dudley Huggins to SAC; from orientation’s freeness and giveaways, to the end-of-semester exam tension; we were always in a learning environment and we all can say that we had a full UWI life.

Graduates, do you remember the UWI Life student orientation right here in SPEC three years ago? Do you remember the Michael Jackson karaoke session with Jason Williams? Well if you do, do you also remember a young man in a blue polo and surf pants spinning, gliding and moonwalking whilst struggling to sing Billie Jean? Well if so, you remembered me. That was my first experience as a UWI student and it is quite ironic that my last experience would also be on the very stage that I danced upon. The young man standing before you today is not the same as the one who sang his heart out three years ago. Like many, if not all of us, we are not the same individuals that entered the gates of this institution however long ago. We changed, we became stronger, some faster, others smarter. But whilst we changed, we still remained true to ourselves and never lost the essence of what makes each one of us special.

The Pelican properly identifies us as the UWI brand, a product of renowned intellectual investment and high academic quality. We are all now ambassadors for this university as we strive to make our mark in this international community. I offer special congratulations to the international and regional graduates amongst us. The mere fact that you made the St. Augustine campus your home away from home is a testament as to why the UWI is increasingly growing as a regional centre for excellence.

But I take this moment to extend thanks to the lecturers of our various programmes and courses. Without you, well there simply wouldn’t be a course to study, but more importantly, you have made our minds knowledgeable in our respective disciplines. I thank the many parents who have given their all to see to it that we have an education and as such they too can hold their heads high and celebrate. On this note, I also thank all the administrative and auxiliary staff for their support on our scholastic journey. But graduates, let us also thank our friends, without them where would we be? Well, ‘forever alone’ seems like a probable destination.

Within this spirit of thanksgiving, we must also chart the future. This world has an economic climate characterized by the hydrocarbons, the catalyst of our growth and progress. But as the Caribbean basin seeks to diversify its energy base, I say to you my fellow graduates, that these conventional resources are not the future. The future of the region should be powered by the energy, passion and ambition of its upcoming leaders. Caribbean sustainability should be based on the greatest resource; you, the human capital, the revolutionary thinkers and innovators. The innovation of the mind should not be underestimated and as such, I am confident that this class would be a pioneering group. This notion would mean that The University of the West Indies will continue to have the resounding impact it has had whilst embodying our motto, “A light rising from the West.”

My fellow graduates, as members of this Caribbean society, and more so as UWI alumni, we are called to service. We have the privilege of being part of this new era in institutional growth. In the wider tapestry of a regional perspective, we are the graduating class of two nations’ 50th anniversary of independence. Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have been on a journey together for the past 50 years, but they were not alone, the neighbouring territories all offered the national support that makes this archipelago the diverse and flavourful region that it is. Such a landmark occasion and rich history of inter-island integration indeed thrusts a responsibility on our shoulders, but more so, it is an opportunity for each one of us to become the men and women that the world has called us to be.

This transitional atmosphere has also percolated into the halls of our Faculty. When we laid down our pens after our final exam, we did so as students of the Faculty of Science and Agriculture. But as we return to commemorate our achievements as a class, we return to an environment that has a new sense of scholastic purpose. Such an academic initiative now introduces us to the Faculty of Science and Technology as well as the Faculty of Food and Agriculture. This is a transition of today that would shape the minds of the tomorrow. As the last FSA valedictorian, in wishing my colleagues well this day, I also wish our beloved Faculty all the success in this demerger.

Graduates, by no means is the journey over, for we each have many more steps to take and though our feet may grow weary, let our spirit be strong. As I survey this room, I see faces of anticipation, faces of ambition and faces of hope. The musician Gary Lewis says, “This is your world shape it or someone else will.” My friends, a world of opportunity is before us; let’s seize it and make it our own. André Gide adds, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” We must embrace our lives with such an enthusiasm and adventurous spirit.

So as you open the doors of this building to leave, not only do you step outside onto the campus, but you take a step out as a potential catalyst of change; a change that is more than a profile picture, a cover photo or a status. No matter how far you go, whether you make 10 or 100 steps, the journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step. I sincerely hope that UWI, St. Augustine has indeed allowed you to take this first step.