 I have been told that the graduation ceremonies at the St. Augustine Campus have been growing steadily over the last decade. In the academic year that just ended, 18,327 students were enrolled. We are marking a milestone this year by conferring 38 PhDs; the highest ever and a record for this campus, but there is something else that caught my eye.
Trinidad and Tobago is well known as a place of many cultures. It is a meeting place of nations, and the St. Augustine Campus reflects this. Here we are, rounding off the chain of islands, and we manage to attract 562 students from countries that are not part of the contributing territories. In fact, those 562 students come from 55 different countries! It is no wonder that this campus and this country are so rich in diversity. You are leaving here today with a higher degree of appreciation of the diverse cultures that surround you. It will stand you in good stead.
As this phase of your life comes to a close, so does another begin. This is the natural course of things. You are now about to set off on the greatest of adventures - your life! What you make of this adventure is entirely in your hands. You will only be limited by your ambition. I advise you to aim for the stars. Nothing else should be good enough! The only regrets you are likely to have in life are not the things you did but the things that you wanted to do that you failed to do.
You are now independent. You have the tools to make your way in the world. For many, this will be the time when you will begin rearranging the strands of your life. Many may be leaving home, finding a job, asserting your independence.
You have been described as millennials, as having a sense of entitlement, as not having discipline, as being self-absorbed. I know better. You suffer from a wonderful affliction; it is called youth. You will prove your critics wrong. You will be the best of generations.
You have now completed this phase of your formal education and will soon have that piece of paper for which you have toiled so hard. The piece of paper itself is of little consequence. What is of immense value is the education which you have obtained from attending university. The ability to think critically, to learn, is a far greater asset than any material possession. It is something which can never be lost or taken from you. It should be the foundation upon which you will build your life.
Do not allow anyone to ever tell you that you can’t achieve your ambition, or to discourage you from your dreams. Walk away from that advice. Believe in yourself. Go follow your dreams! There will always be obstacles in your life, but you will overcome them.
The story of a young woman who is graduating this year, with First Class Honors, Dahryn Augustine is a compelling example. At the beginning of her final year at the Faculty of Science and Technology, her sister was diagnosed with cancer. Dahryn dropped everything to be with her. One year later her sister passed away. Dahryn was so devastated that she considered not completing her degree. In her words: “Despair, disappointment and sadness had filled my heart, and I no longer wanted to continue. I was confused and felt that my leave of absence was to no avail. I did not help her; I did not save her.”
She pulled herself together; she did not to give up. Dahryn is from Dominica. So she has been dealt another blow, but we can be certain that she has the resilience and fortitude to rise to the challenge. She is an inspiration.
We must become more assured of ourselves and not be afraid of change. We are a talented people but our past too often follows us to our detriment. There is strength in knowing where you have come from, but we cannot allow ourselves to be paralyzed by our historical circumstance. We all came to these islands under different conditions. We are no longer who our forefathers were. We are what we make of ourselves.
You are about to enter an exciting world, full of possibilities; a place where you can make your dreams come true. To be successful you have to be curious, innovative, analytical, to communicate well, be a team player and most importantly, you must have strong ethical values.
Always define yourselves by the substance of your character. As an educated West Indian you hold a responsibility to your community to provide assistance to those who have been less fortunate. I would like to encourage each of you to mentor a young person who, without your help, might fail. That way you will make our communities stronger and our societies better.
As the poet has said, “The greatness of a person is not in how much wealth they acquire, but in their integrity and their ability to affect those around them positively.”
I would like to see a renewed sense of civic responsibility. Our geography, our history, our size, our culture and our economies give us reasons to consider each other as family.
This University, spread as it is across the region, represents all of our commonalities and all of our differences. You are now part of the UWI family, use it to your advantage.
Your graduation is a time to rejoice, to celebrate your success with your family and friends. It represents a crossroad in your lives and the lives of your parents, your guardians and all those who have played a part in getting you to this point.
Those who supported you on this journey have much to be proud of today. This is as much their success as it is yours. Never underestimate the huge contribution that your family and friends make to your success.
We should reflect for a moment on the damage that has been done to our sister islands as a consequence of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, along with the recent massive flooding in Trinidad. It reminds us of how susceptible we are to climate change and natural disasters. The responses to these crises have reassured us that we are a caring people.
In Grenada, after the graduation ceremony for the Open Campus, I was asked to sign a graduation booklet for Tessa Flavien, a St. Lucian graduate who did not attend the ceremony. Tessa, who graduated with a BSc. in Social Sciences, First Class Honors, donated the money she had set aside to come to her graduation to the relief effort in Dominica. Tessa has set an example for all of us, of selfless leadership, and we all congratulate her today. We know the rebuilding process will be long and hard, but acts like these keep us strong.
You are inheriting the problems AND the blessings of your countries; the responsibility is now yours to shoulder. Today as graduates of this University, you are proud West Indians. Be prepared to give to your community, your country, your region. You have the power and opportunity to build the countries of your dreams.
I wish you all well. |
