Students shared excitement with classmates, friends and family as they graduated from H. Lavity Stoutt Community College last Thursday afternoon.
“I feel great,” said graduate Asaunia Simms. “I’m actually kind of tired because this has been a journey, but it’s really rewarding. I feel very rewarded to know that I’ve worked for something and I’ve accomplished a lot.”
Ms. Simms was among 145 HLSCC graduates honoured last Thursday during a ceremony at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex.
The class included 93 women and 52 men, and the most popular academic programme was the associate degree in business administration, with 29 degrees approved.
Close behind was the associate degree in general sciences, with 25 degrees approved, followed by marine technology (12) and accounting (10).
Family and friends filled the lower and upper areas of the Multi-purpose Sports Complex to support the graduates last Thursday afternoon.
The ceremony lasted nearly three hours, with speakers including HLSCC President Richard Georges; Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer, who was acting as premier; and Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro, among others.
Bishop John Cline, the overseer of New Life Baptist Church on Tortola and Emmanuel Baptist Church on Virgin Gorda, delivered the keynote address.
“Today marks an end of another chapter in your life, and now you’re about to begin another,” Mr. Cline said. “If there’s one truth I would like you to carry into your next, [it’s] that you matter.”
The graduate respondent was Palesa Caesar, who received an associate degree in humanities.
“This college has become more than just a place of learning,” Ms. Caesar said in her address. “It has become our second home. Our professors didn’t just teach us what to think: They taught us how to think. They challenged us, supported us … and helped shape us into the individuals ready to make a difference.”
After the speeches, degrees and certificates were presented to the graduates.
As each name was read off and students crossed the stage to shake Mr. Georges’ hand, cheers, whistles, applause and airhorns rang out from the crowd.
Students
Ms. Simms received her associate degree in general sciences.
“I’ve majored in science from high school, and so I decided to continue with the journey,” she said. “And then in community college I discovered biomedical engineering, and so I figured that’s what I want to do when I grow up or get older.”
She added that she plans on continuing her studies at a university next fall.
Mayah Peters, who received an associate degree in business administration, said she felt relieved.
“[It’s] a lot of pressure off my shoulders, but I’m excited for this new chapter,” she said after the ceremony. “It was definitely a journey, but I made it.”
Ms. Peters added that she chose to study business administration because she hopes to start her own business one day.
“I love to create art; I love to tell stories through art,” she said. “So I also would love to add a business aspect — sharing it with individuals.”
Photos: ALLISON VAUGHN
The numbers
Of the 145 graduates, 96 graduated from programmes in arts, sciences and general studies; 34 from programmes in workforce training; and 10 from the Chartered Management Institute, according to HLSCC.
There were more degrees awarded than there were graduates, with 154 degrees approved and six students receiving more than one degree, according to HLSCC.
Twelve students graduated with honours: eight cum laude, two magna cum laude, and two summa cum laude.
More than half the graduates are members of honour societies. Forty-six are National Technical Honour Society members, 14 are Phi Theta Kappa full members, and 23 are Phi Theta Kappa provisional members, according to HLSCC.
Editor’s note: This story has been amended to reflect the correct length of the ceremony.
