GRADUATION HIGHLIGHTS
Cave Hill Excerpts from Cave Hill Campus Graduation Ceremony 2008 Valedictory Address by Ms. Sanella Sanford. Oriens Ex Occidente Lux – “A Light Rising from the West”; the motto of our dear University, often overlooked, yet its enduring signal elucidates for us just as significant a message today as when it first appeared sixty years ago.
places in the Caribbean which brings together people from every corner of the region; rub off your insularities …. here we are all West Indians. We have a responsibility to ensure that Caribbean integration is a practical, lived experience.
Honorary members of the platform (seated) listen to Ms. Sanella Sanford as she
delivers her Valedictory Address.
Graduates, we are all now “lights rising in the west”. It is my hope that our University education has led us to appreciate the values of enterprise and entrepreneurship, ethics and good citizenship, innovation, responsibility, pride and self worth – as bequeathed to us as part of an enduring legacy of this venerable institution. It is also my hope, as a Caribbean citizen, that our years within the walls of this hallowed institution engendered within us the spirit of unity and the passion for integration. For it is unmistakably clear, that the visions we share of socio-economic prosperity for our own home countries, can only be attainable within the context of a shared society…within the context of integration. This University remains one of the few
As the inheritors of the light, we must assume our roles in all areas of society; positioning ourselves to be able to radiate that light.
We have become a proud part of a legacy that has been a sustained effort by Caribbean people to attain a sense of identity and purpose. The road has not been smooth for our University in its coming of age and it will certainly not always be smooth for us as graduates either. As we attend to our personal needs and achieve our personal goals the hallmark of our success is not measured only by the receipt of our scrolls this morning, but rather the extent to which we are able to nurture, strengthen and provide opportunities for others in our family, community, country and region. Graduates, the University cannot sustain and improve its services to future students – the services which we benefited from and were often critical of, sometimes unnecessarily so – without our support. Aware of our duties as alumni and Caribbean citizens, we must be devoted benefactors to The University of the West Indies. We must stay focused on the needs of this small but vital part of the world, by giving generously to our alumni association so that our campus administrators can consistently mend and build, with a view towards developing the University towards its zenith.
UWI Open Campus St. Lucia Students Excel UWI Open Campus St. Lucia celebrated the outstanding performance of its graduating class of 2008 with a ceremony at the Bay Gardens Hotel on Sunday, January 25, 2009. Seventy-three students pursued degrees and certificates via distance education through the Open Campus. Four of the graduates obtained First Class Honours degrees. These students are Shelly Ann Casimir, Martha Foster, Vernicia Murris and Leona Bastien. Thirtyfive students received Upper Second Class Honours and twenty-seven students obtained Lower Second Class Honours. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Her Excellency, Dame Dr. Pearlette Louisy, the Governor-General of St. Lucia, who is an alumna of The University of the West Indies. The Vice Chancellor of the UWI, Professor
E. Nigel Harris commended the graduates for their outstanding performance. The Vice Chancellor also emphasised that the education which is provided by the UWI is unsurpassed in the region. To support his statement, he further indicated that graduates of the UWI are readily welcomed and accepted by international universities of repute. The Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Open Campus, Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald, also addressed the gathering, outlining the vision of the Open Campus and the role that it plays in fostering national and regional development. The guest speaker at the ceremony was Dr. Rosemarie Husbands-Mathurin, Speaker of the House of Assembly, who emphasised the importance of providing avenues for higher education and lifelong learning as a means of improving the quality of life for all. The Valedictory address was given by Ms. Leona Bastien who obtained the top grade point average (GPA) overall. She praised fellow graduates for their perseverance and urged them to continue contributing their education and skills to the society. The Valedictorian also noted the bold and visionary initiative that is The University of the West Indies Open Campus.
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