If they were living in the same house, it would definitely have been a rambunctious environment, but perhaps fortunately for these four family members graduating at the St Augustine ceremonies this year, they lived apart.
Marlene Herrera has completed her Master’s in Social Work, her niece, Charmain Subero-Salandy, completed her EdD, and Charmain’s nephew, Justin Subero, his MBA at Arthur Lok Jack and her niece, Kreshaun Gordon, her LLB.
Talking to them about the separate journeys that saw them landing up on the same graduation platforms in 2025, the common traits are clear. They are highly-motivated, energetic and confident, with a never-say-die approach to life.
Marlene had been working as a senior secretary at the Council of Legal Education while she did her programme part-time. At 62, she is now retired but plans to privately practise her social work, with some “volunteering and administrative work to keep busy.”
The most difficult challenges she faced did not come from managing work and study, but a far more profoundly painful source.
“I lost six sisters, a brother, and two brothers-in-law during the course of my programme,” she said. “At one point, I thought about not continuing, but the motivation from Dr Kendra Pitt encouraged me to take an extension and complete it.”
She is the last surviving sibling, and somewhat of the matriarch of the extended family. Needless to say, the deaths affected everyone.
For Charmain, “Faith and family sustained us. We are a resilient people. We are a family that has endured great loss, having said goodbye to 18 loved ones, including my mother, who passed away in 2021 from COVID-19.”
Charmain has just turned 59, and “One of my greatest joys was keeping pace with the younger students—a quiet affirmation that age and circumstance need not limit ambition,” she said. This resilience is probably why she found it a plus that her studies were completely virtual. “Pursuing online classes not only expanded my knowledge but also opened doors to meaningful connections—transforming virtual discussions into a network of lasting friendships.”
It was quite different for 27-year-old Justin, who found the transition to virtual learning discombobulating. He had just finished his BSc in Computer Science and Communication Studies when the pandemic intervened and he could not adjust. He retreated, got a job at a bank (where he is now a senior systems analyst). Fortuitously, a colleague had done the programme and persuaded him to try again. He was depressed, he said, but starting again made “a drastic difference”.
It was hard to juggle work and study, he said, “sheer determination” was what kept him going through the late nights, the missed liming, and keeping up with assignments. His girlfriend helped him to power through. That, and the “discipline and organisational skills,” he got from his father, Sheldon, and the “charisma and personality,” from his mother, Giselle, helped him thrive.
That remarkable confidence is echoed in Kreshaun, who says assuredly, “My long-term goal is to enter politics and eventually serve as Attorney General. I’ve always believed that the sky is my limit, and I aim to reach the top in whatever I do. For me, law is more than a career, it’s a calling. I see it as a powerful tool to bring about meaningful change and to help build a society that is fair, transparent, and accountable.”
She won’t mind being Chief Justice or Prime Minister either, she said; she’ll figure out which is more appealing as she goes along.
Each of them acknowledges the value of the support family has brought. “My family and I as you can tell are busy bees, but we always make time to support each other,” said Justin.
For Kreshaun, a bleak moment came when her father died during her second year. “Balancing grief, new family responsibilities, and academic pressures was incredibly difficult. There were moments when I felt completely overwhelmed, but his belief in me and my family’s support gave me the strength to keep going.”
For Marlene, support also came from her lecturers and colleagues. She singled out “Miriam Samaru who showed her compassion when my younger sister died, and the present principal Rudranath Maharaj.”
Charmain wistfully recalls the many nights she survived on just three hours’ sleep, juggling work projects, academic deadlines, and missed activities with her family which, “didn’t always go down well,” she said. But she had some words of advice based on her experience as a UWI staffer and student.
“Once accepted to The UWI, you must be prepared to work hard and be challenged—but know this: you are never alone. UWI is a community. Just as my family supported me through the toughest times, my UWI family provided encouragement, guidance, and understanding. That sense of community made all the difference.”
For more graduation stories, visit UWI St Augustine's Medium page at https://medium.com/@uwisocialmedia
