SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER, 2017 – UWI TODAY
7
Mr Yenver Caezar
Bachelor of Science,
International Relations
(Special), Public Sector
Management (Minor)
First Class Honours,
Faculty of Social Sciences
Mr. Caezar
switched
from Biochemistry to
International Relations
when he realized he loves
global affairs, public
speaking and debating.
His goal is to work with
regional bodies such as Caricom and the OECS, and
eventually, to enter politics in his country, “with my
eyes set on the portfolio of Minister of Tourism and my
ultimate dream is to one day become the prime minister
of St. Lucia.”
While some decry the state of politics and shun it, he
takes a different view. “Many people try to deter the youth
from political ambitions because of its unscrupulous
reputation,” he says, “but I believe that the onus is on the
youth to offer themselves as candidates and aim to be the
change which we all dream to happen.”
In 2016, he was elected International Affairs
Committee Chairperson of the Guild of Students, and in
2017, he was Treasurer.
Ms Zia Barnard
Bachelor of Science,
Biology with Specializations
in Biotechnology and
Microbiology,
First Class Honours,
Faculty of Science &
Technology
Zia Barnard attended
the Sir Arthur Lewis
Community College
in her native St. Lucia,
where she developed
a keen interest in Mathematics and Biology. After
graduation, financial constraints forced her to delay
continuing her schooling. She spent a year teaching
while applying for scholarships. In 2014 she was awarded
a UWI Open Scholarship which covered tuition, fees,
books and housing. Without it, she says she would have
never been able to attend UWI.
The last of four children, Zia says her generous,
caring and goal-oriented older sister, Zanna, is her
ultimate mentor. With her love of nature adventure,
between 2007 till 2011, she was a member of the Youth
Environment Forum of the St. Lucia National Trust,
advocating for the conservation of her country’s natural
biodiversity. Her environmental work combined with her
academic studies helped her understand the biological
purposes of plants and animals in the food chain.
Mr Rondelle Keller
Bachelor of Laws
First Class Honours
Faculty of Law
At The UWI,
Mr. Keller
took advantage of the
opportunities available
to students and that
propel them beyond
a strictly academic
experience. He was on
both the Debate and
Swim teams; he learned
Chinese at the Centre for Language Learning; took
advantage of the study abroad programme to spend a
year in China; and was part of the team that represented
the Campus at the Jessup 2017 International LawMoot
Competition in Washington, DC. He says UWI has made
him a “global citizen.”
He says the secrets to his success are late nights, early
mornings, and surrounding himself with people who are
positive and supportive. His parents are a great influence
in his life.
Mr. Keller plans to attend the Hugh Wooding Law
School and then be admitted to the bar. Ultimately, he
would like to serve his country by entering the political
arena, perhaps as a future Attorney General.
Ms Amy Victor
Bachelor of Science,
International Relations
(Special), Spanish (Minor)
Second Class Honours
(Upper Division)
Faculty of Social Sciences
While at Naparima
Girls’ High School, Amy
Victor developed an
interest in languages,
but her fascination with
International Relations
began shortly before
entering the UWI when she participated in a model
United Nations seminar.
She is still uncertain of where she will go now that
she has done some of both.
“Many persons would like to believe that as a
university graduate they must have their future all
figured out. This is the biggest myth because only
upon graduating, I realised that is impossible to have it
completely figured out.”
What she does know is that she wants to make a
difference to this world.
One issue she is working on in the short term is the
lack of affordable child care, which limits the economic
opportunities available to single women. Her first step
will be to launch an early childhood centre that provides
24-hour child care at affordable rates.
Ms Karisa
Bridgelal
Bachelor of Arts, Literatures
in English with Double
Minors in Human
Resource Management
and Psychology First
Class Honours Faculty of
Humanities & Education
Ms. Bridgelal’s love
for
literature began while
she was a student at
Holy Faith Convent in
Penal, where she was influenced by the passion of her
teachers. At the UWI, she found further inspiration from
her lecturers, particularly the late Dr. Giselle Rampaul,
in whose footsteps she wanted to follow as she plans to
lecture in Literature one day.
Karisa is currently pursuing her Master’s in English
Literature. This sci-fi and fantasy buff is examining the
work of Caribbean writers in that genre.
“My hope is to someday add to the literary canon in
the Caribbean as a critic or writer and have students use
my work as a frame of reference. I am currently pursing
my thesis in Caribbean Science Fiction, a genre that is
fairly new to our region and I hope I can add something
of substance to this community,” she said.
Ms Sofiyya
Hassanali
Bachelor of Science,
Optometry
Second Class Honours
(Upper Division)
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Service has always been
a part of Ms. Hassanali’s
life. Born in Trinidad,
she grew up in Florida,
where she worked
with Islamic and non-
profit organizations.
In Trinidad, she organized the Barakah Foundation
Free Medical Clinics, which take place every four to six
months in Chaguanas. At UWI, she and her classmates
conducted a Vision Mission trip to Jamaica, providing
eye care to people in need. She strives to be a good role
model, and believing in the importance of inspiring
children, she hosts a television show, ‘Story Time with
Sofiyya’ on the Islamic Broadcasting Network. She also
works with the Islamic Home for Children in Gasparillo.
While she wants to make a difference in the world, she
believes in setting realistic goals. “I believe in fixing my
own backyard first,” she said. “I want to help our people
of Trinidad and the Caribbean reach a higher standard of
living.”
CELEBRATIONS
Valedictorians 2017
