50 YEARS AFTER ENTRY GRADS BRING SCHOLARSHIPS AND MEMORIES
MONEAGUE, St Ann; Sept. 20, 2024
Dozens of Moneague College alumni were overcome with emotion Friday at a reunion at the college in Moneague, St Ann, as they started a weekend of celebration marking 50 years after entering the institution.
The more than 40 past students came together in the college’s main lecture theatre Friday morning, September 20, 2024 to get an update on the institution that is now a multi-disciplinary college. When they entered in 1974 they were all trained as teachers at what was then Moneague Teachers’ College.
(Principal of The Moneague College Howard Isaacs, in suit, seated, with college executives, front row, and members of Batch #19 at the college, at the first event of the reunion weekend)
The Batch #19 members have completed a lifetime of service in various areas of education as well as other professions and vocations in Jamaica and overseas. About half of those attending the reunion now live overseas.
(Coordinator of the reunion weekend Hope Harris says she was overjoyed to return to the college)
Coordinator of the reunion Hope Harris, who lives in New York, USA, and is one of the conceptualizers of the reunion said when she entered the grounds Friday morning she had to kiss her fingers and touch the soil in appreciation.
(Long Time: Members of Batch 19 greeting each other before the tour of The Moneague College campus Friday, Sept. 20)
“Moneague [Teacher’s College] represents some of the happiest days of our lives,” she told North Coast Times.
The alumni came to also give back to the institution. Laur Nevers Wilson gave a special scholarship in memory of her father, Enos Nevers of Phoenix Park, Moneague. Mr Nevers was a farmer and sold some of his produce to the college.
The Enos Nevers Agriculture Scholarship awardee is Lishaugle Abbott, Year 1 Teacher Education student.
(Laur Nevers Wilson, left, presents a cheque for the scholarship in honour of her father Enos Nevers to vice principal of academics at The Moneague College, Kenene Senior)
The batch also gave scholarships with a value of $200,000 awarded to two students to assist their education.
Lenworth Taylor said the college meant everything to him. Taylorm a former principal and education officer said that for him coming from deep rural Jamaica, Retirement in St Mary, in 1974 was a life-changing move. He said the college “nurtured me in all forms and became my home away from home.”
A former supervisor in the Corrections system, educator, and pastor Dr Qubert Beale had the group in stitches as he recalled some of the in-and-out-of-class events in which they participated 50 years ago. Dr Beale said the institution was the “crème de la crème” of all colleges.
Principal of Moneague Howard Isaacs gave the welcome and spoke about programmes at the institution. He said it was correctly now The Moneague College and had long ceased to be a teacher training institution only. He said he had a superb team helping to develop the institution.
Also with him were faculty members Jacqueline Thames, vice principal, student and administrative affairs; newly appointed vice principal of academics, Kenene Senior; and marketing communications and alumni affairs officer Dr Nadine Muschette.
The alumni were taken on a tour of the campus where they pointed to familiar locations even where there were now changes to infrastructure.
The morning ended with reflections, reminiscences, and photo-taking.
The weekend celebrations will climax with a gala dinner at Holiday Haven Hotel in Runaway Bay, St Ann, on Saturday evening, September 21.
THE NORTH COAST TIMES WILL CARRY SEVERAL STORIES AND PICTURES ON THE WEEKEND OF CELEBRATIONS
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