It was a grand evening of celebration on Thursday, November 26, 2015, as the Moneague College hosted yet another graduation exercise for its students who had successfully completed their various programmes of studies. The graduation exercise celebrated the successes of two batches of students; those who had completed their programmes in 2014 and 2015.
In all, a total of 260 students, predominantly from the Community College Division of the college had successfully completed their programmes over the two-year period covered by the graduation exercise. This represented the total number of graduates from all three campuses of the institution.(Linstead, Port Maria and Moneague). Forty eight students participated in the graduation exercise. This represented only a portion of the graduates of the institution for this year, as all students in the Teacher Education Department of the institution had an earlier graduation exercise from the University of The West Indies.
Chairman of the Board of Management of the Moneague College and master of ceremonies, Leon Gordon, in his welcome, lauded the graduates for their achievement. “It is no longer a dream, but you have made it a reality. You have conquered the challenges and you have turned your dreams into realities,” he told them.He further urged them to remain focused, as Jamaica’s development required sober, steady thinking and analytical minds.
Minister of Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament for South East St. Ann, also had words of encouragement for the graduates. She addressed them about the realities of the employment and economic situation in Jamaica, noting that they are operating in a global environment where they will need to exercise courage and emotional intelligence to balance the demands of the job market with their individual passion. She pointed the graduates to the fields of construction, tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture as major growth sectors where opportunities for employment are increasing.
Principal of the Moneague College, Howard Isaacs through his reflection beamed with pride as he made several significant comments on the general progress of the institution which included the addition of such programmes as Call Centre Operations and Tourism and Hospitality Courses through the Career Advancement Programme.
He recognized his staff, academic and non-academic, retired and current whom he described as a group of dedicated and committed individuals who have worked to present the graduating class of 2014 and 2015.
Mr Isaacs emphasized that challenging times are ahead, but that the students are well prepared to face the challenges. He used the story of Moses using the only thing that he had in his hand; a rod, to work many wonderful miracles as the Israelites made their way to freedom from Egypt. He equated the rod to the qualifications the graduates now have and charged them to use it to achieve greatness.
Guest speaker for the evening was Tamara McKayle, television producer, writer and presenter at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS). Miss McKayle addressed the topic of integrity; at all times imploring the graduates to maintain integrity in their personal, professional and business life.
The valedictorian, Tashana Samuels gave a thoughtful, articulate address to the audience and her fellow graduates. She expressed the joy of their accomplishments, while noting that there had been several challenging experiences along the journey. She thanked the lecturers for their commitment in preparing them for the world of work and ended by acknowledging the contribution of their parents and God Almighty who kept them throughout it all.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
The students who attended all collected their various awards which ranged from Associate Degrees and Diplomas to Bachelor’s Degrees. Several cheers erupted for them, rising to a crescendo when Clifford Clarke collected his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies with a major in Human Resource Management. Mr. Clarke is physically challenged, but that never stopped him from using his crutches as he smiled from ear to ear to collect his degree.
Several students received special awards for high academic achievement and college involvement. The Richard McGibbon trophy for outstanding performance in Food and Beverage Management went to Kayasan Green and Abigail Burrell.
The Winnifred Brown trophy, named in honour of a past principal, for outstanding academic performance in Hospitality and Tourism went to Yoshida Sewell and Abigail Johnston. The Pansy Haye Award for the student that displayed values of dignity, decorum and discipline also went to Abigail Johnston.
The Principal’s Trophy and the Most Outstanding student award both went to Kavia Hoarde.
In attendance at the ceremony were several lecturers and stakeholders of the institution, parents and well-wishers who shared in the graduates’ special moment.
The Moneague College continues to be beacon of light, inspiring students to heights of excellence, proving that it is indeed, and “your opportunity for success.”
