Moneague College Celebrating 60 years of Excellence showcases its work, influence
Sugar Ray Thomas
Residents of the Moneague community and students from specially invited primary and basic schools were embraced by the Moneague College at its “Moneague Day” held on Thursday, April 21, at the main campus.
The “Moneague Day”, which was held under the theme ‘Embracing change… Soaring to new heights,’ was one of several activities planned by the college as it celebrates 60 years of existence.
The Moneague College opened its doors in 1956 as Moneague Teacher’s College and started out with 104 students. In 2016, the student population has grown immensely to 1, 476 students across its three campuses; Moneague, Linstead and Port Maria.
Speaking at the opening day of activities in the Gloria Johnson Multi-purpose building, principal of the Moneague College, Howard Isaacs, noted that the institution had grown into a multi-disciplinary institution which offered several areas of study. He also stressed that the institution had impacted the world and has the distinction of having several distinguished past students such as the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen and his wife, Lady Allen.
Chairman of the board of management, Leon Gordon explained that the institution has not only taught children to seek a job, but has now changed that mindset for them to “go out and create their own job.”
Senior education officer, Anthony Grey, also commended the institution for their achievements over the past 60 years, while past student Clayton Clarke of Toyota Jamaica, lauded the institution for its impact on his life.
Keynote speaker at the open day, Dr Maureen Byfield, retired educator and reading specialist in Latin America and the Caribbean, who is a past student of the Moneague College, encouraged those gathered to embrace change. She told students of the college that they must have vision and be willing to transform.
“Move out of your seat of complacency and become an agent of change,” she urged students.
Persons from the Moneague community, specially invited guests and students from specially invited schools, such as, Breadnut Hill Primary, Steer Town Academy and Moneague Primary and Junior High School, sampled the college’s experience through tours of the campus and booth displays highlighting several aspects of various departments of the schools.
These departments included: the schools of humanities, business, mathematics, hospitality and tourism management, education, mathematics, natural and applied science, technology and more.
There were also displays from corporate Jamaica/visiting exhibitors including, Impact Signs Solutions, HEART Trust/NTA, Nazdane Fashion and Graphics Centre and more.
The college also opened a tourism restaurant on the campus, called Winnifred’s, in honor of past vice-principal and past head of the tourism and hospitality department, Winnifred Brown.
In an interview with The Times, April Brady, second year student, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in business, said that “the Open Day was a great opportunity for persons to showcase their talent and be part of something bigger. The college is a wonderful institution as it helps one to be more sociable. At the Moneague College, they help you to be more involved in activities and they help to nurture your dreams, making them a reality.”
The day’s events closed with a concert featuring recording artist, Deep Jahi, JCDC finalists and more.
(Britanie Tulloch contributed to this article) 
