UCC Commencement 2020 2021

[Music] [Music] so [Music] an institution highly recognized to represent a revolution in delivery of private higher education [Music] as with all revolutions there is always [Music] and the wider caribbean [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] ladies and gentlemen welcome to the 2020 and 2021 commencement ceremony of the university of the commonwealth caribbean we welcome the 2020 and 2021 ucc graduating classes with candidates from the college of graduate studies and research the school of business and management the school of technology and mathematics and the school of humanities and law our special guests and friends and well-wishers of the graduating classes please observe the national anthem after which the university's chaplain pastor samuel lewis will deliver the invocation [Music] [Music] so [Music] good afternoon everyone shall we pray our heavenly father we are so thankful to you that although the coronavirus has engulfed the world including our island we are privileged to be at this graduation we thank you for the guardians and the success given to them we ask you a special blessing on the evening's activities and everything that will be done we are grateful to you and thankful to you for the privilege privilege of life bless us now and help us to give glory and honor to you for being such a great god to us thank you for everything we pray in the mighty name of jesus amen we invite ucc board chairman dr donald rooms to bring opening remarks hello and greetings to the ucc family board members distinguished guests faculty and staff honorary doctoral degree candidates and their families graduates families and friends ladies and gentlemen my name is donald rums board chairman university of the commonwealth caribbean and i'm pleased to give these remarks to our distinguished members of the joint graduating class for 2020 and 2021. your achievement is all the more surreal considering that together you constitute what we can call pandemic era ucc graduates i say that not to put an asterisk on your degrees but on the contrary it is to indicate that how against all odds trials and pandemic induced tribulations you have now prevailed congratulations today is a significant milestone for you perhaps for some of you you are the first in your generation to earn a college degree and i would urge you all to consider your degree as both a landmark achievement and a deliberate call to action make no mistake the ucc degree can and will make a difference for you by changing the trajectory of your life in a 2019 documentary bridge the gap the writer suggests that if the world's 7.5 billion people were a village of 100 only seven would have a college degree of which less than two would have a masters or doctorate 93 would have no degree at all so graduates you are part of the 7 across our world who have achieved the important milestone of earning a college degree so what is the value of a college the u.s census recently noted that those who complete a bachelor's on average earn 75 more than those with a high school diploma over a lifetime while the us context is different from our jamaican context there is little argument about the monetary value of a college degree but your degree is worth more than earning potential it is a job requirement in many cases and hence a quick screening tool on a job application researchers at the wharton school of the university of pennsylvania revealed that your happiness increases greatly with the completion of a college degree commencement signals a new beginning a time for you to think about what is next what contribution can i make and what legacy do i want to leave for those coming behind me in short it is a call to action in our village of 100 people analogy we also learn that over 22 percent of our world are homeless nine percent do not have drinking water and 18 have no electricity there is considerable opportunity for you to make a difference right here in jamaica and also in our world just ask yourself this question what can i do to help the village called humanity using the imagery of two rats in their desperate search for cheese spencer johnson writer of the best-selling paperback who moved by cheese reflects on the need to embrace new learning and a tolerance for the unfamiliar as essential qualities in order to find new g's your degree empowers you to do just that to make changes and be the change that is so desperately needed in our society today so can i challenge you then with these three simple ideas first respect the value of your degree the wise writer of proverbs 22 and 28 implores you to respect traditions and thus the landmark that is your ucc degree second accept the call and responsibility to make a difference by committing to new learning to lifelong learning at ucc we can help you carve out new professional pathways consider a new foundation outcome startup commit to charity organizations volunteer and embrace the concept of giving back and thirdly help your alma mater in its ongoing mission join the alumni effort and help us build a legacy as is evident in our recent announcements in the press the ucc board faculty and staff are committed to the task of building a legacy that you can be proud of one that will extend well into perpetuity a big shout out then to your family members and loved ones who supported you throughout this journey class of 2020 and 2021 congratulations to all of you and now go out and let your light shine thank you i now invite professor dennis gale ucc's president to address us this combined 2020 and 2021 virtual commencement ceremony reflects both the challenges that have occurred as a result of the continuing corner virus pandemic and the achievements of your cells as well as your university during the period since 2019 ucc commencement ceremony the most important institutional developments include the award of institutional accreditation by the university council of jamaica positioning ucc as one of four jamaican universities that have earned this accolade out of some 80 registered tertiary institutions nationwide ucc was also able to smoothly convert our traditional classroom teaching and learning to fully online experiences while strengthening our internal quality assurance quality enhancement and institutional effectiveness framework during your engagement with a rich teaching and learning environment provided by the university of the commonwealth caribbean you have expanded your general education allowing you to better understand the world in which you live the caribbean region and your country as well as your knowledge and skills within selected disciplines including engagement with abstract concepts and theories you have learned to think critically to seek required information and to express your thoughts and feelings more clearly in speech and in writing there is abundant evidence that higher education improves an individual's quality of life compared to high school graduates university and college graduates tend to experience longer life spans better access to healthcare greater job satisfaction expanded lifetime earnings economic security and improved career prospects they engage in more community service display greater self-confidence as well as higher levels of citizenship including voting rates university and college graduates also tend to demonstrate more interest in continuing education as well as to participate more extensively in leisure and artistic activities or to enjoy live performances that elicit a wide range of cognitive and emotive reactions in a cumulative sense higher education constitutes the intellectual motor that drives national regional and international economic growth and development as well as the fourth industrial revolution colloquially called the internet of things the fourth industrial revolution is driven by inclusive interconnectivity between internet-enabled devices of all kinds while also highlighting the need to develop digital forensics that tackle cybercrime such as various forms of hacking it is also expressed in terms of competencies related to fields such as artificial intelligence robotics semiconductor ships nanotechnology 3d printing advanced manufacturing big data analytics quantum computing biotechnology human machine cooperation and symbiosis cloud computing and hypersonics as aristotle once committed the educated differ from the uneducated as much as a living from the dead you have perhaps encountered the old chinese proverb give a man a fish and you feed him for a day teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime there are several variants of this maxim such as the saying of quang chung sow a seed once and reap a single harvest teach the people and you will reap a hundred harvests throughout your studies ucc also emphasized values such as transparency integrity teamwork and the importance of individual responsibility illustrating the comment of cecil rhodes that to educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society it is also worth recalling william feather's observation that an education isn't how much you've committed to memory or even how much you know it has been able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't and in knowing where to go to find out what you need to know on a continuing basis and how best to use the information secured with these concluding thoughts i salute you the assembled graduates of the university of the commonwealth caribbean and wish you all success in the professional lives that you now begin or continue at a different level whether characterized by successful employment entrepreneurship or further education thank you so much for your attention ladies and gentlemen we are happy to receive greetings from our partners the university council of jamaica takes this opportunity to express heartfelt congratulations to the university of the commonwealth caribbean in making this commencement ceremony possible despite the many changes and challenges being faced by the education sector in this time the ucj applauds the ucc for its invaluable contribution to the development of higher education in jamaica artists congratulations to the graduating class of 2020 and 2021 on your well-deserved accomplishments we all know that hard work and dedication is the way to success but this is not always easy our heavenly father wants us to thrive in all aspects of our lives therefore he gave us the tools talents time technology and gifts to do just that today you can proudly say i have fought the good fight i have finished the race i have kept the faith and that's from second timothy 4 7. it is with warm affection that i stand here to bring you greetings globalization and the changing job market in jamaica and across the world require that all workforces technologically savvy job ready fully trained motivated and equipped with the right attitude and skills to seize the opportunities that will come on stream in jamaica and across the region graduates as you morphed your way to higher heights promise yourselves to be the game changers take the necessary steps to achieve the goal of transforming lives through positive influence our warmest wishes and highest praises are with you as you accomplish another milestone and embark on your new assignment we pray for the lord's wisdom strength and guidance on your journey god bless you all good afternoon it was afternoon in sunderland i'm not quite sure what the time will be with you but i'm very very pleased to be with you unfortunately it has to be digital rather than face to face as i'd love to be in sunny jamaica today it's a wet afternoon in sunderland the university of switzerland are very pleased to be working in partnership with the university of the commonwealth caribbean and to be working with our jamaican colleagues and students particularly so i would like to wish all the graduates every success as i know that your experience in ucc will stand you in excellent stead for your future careers as you know we are working with the university of the commonwealth caribbean on our professional doctorates and our dba doctor for business administration programs and i hope i meet some of you in future times on these programs so just to finish i would like to wish you all the very best for today and for your future careers thank you please welcome the executive chairman of the ucc group of companies dr winston adams today is a day that we have much to celebrate notwithstanding the covet 19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the world we can pause to applaud the landmark achievements of you our students who have worked extremely hard surmounting the challenges of online learning mandated by the virus our university indeed our group of companies is also in a celebratory mode having expanded excel and contributed to the growth and development of jamaica and the commonwealth in a range of initiatives so it is with great pledge and even greater sense of pride that i stand before you today as group executive chairman i am elated and honored to pay homage to every graduate in attendance at our commencement 2020 2021 to you i want to say a special thank you for choosing the university of the commonwealth caribbean we applaud your achievements of your academic goals and wish you equal success in your professional pursuits the kovid 19 pandemic as you all aware has negatively impacted people countries and industries and sectors in myriad ways i am happy to report that the ucc group however is in many ways achieving above and beyond projections we are grateful for god's mercies as part of our internationalization efforts ucc continues to work with international universities and other global partners to develop additional linkages that will foster meaningful benefits particularly for students faculty and other stakeholders you may have heard recently of the announcement of our latest global partnership with the university of arizona this exclusive regional agreement which is non-exclusive across the wider commonwealth makes it possible for students across the caribbean approximately 20 countries including jamaica to pursue either proposed standalone bachelor's and master's degrees or dual degrees from both these highly reputable and institutionally accredited universities without leaving their country our universities once again breaking new frontiers and boundaries as an entrepreneurial pacesetter in developing and implementing an imaginative transnational higher education partnership including projected arrangements for team teaching classes are expected to begin in august and october this year across the region this development comes against a background of substantially increased online registrations renewed local and international institutional accreditation and the development and growth of several subsidiaries as we build horizontal and vertical synergies we currently have a student population of approximately 7 000 at all levels and over 400 administrative and faculty members the university offers professional certificates bachelor's and master's degrees programs as well as customized corporate education programs across seven physical campuses in jamaica there is also ucc online and the new ucc global which has recently developed formal relationships with many strategic partners primarily in the us establishing a foundation upon which to invite international student applications from countries especially across the commonwealth our ucc global subsidiary is already exceeding expectations beyond jamaica achieving its mission of making quality higher education a possibility for qualified students especially across the region in this regard the university has developed relationships with a range of strategic partners across the commonwealth in particular that are helping to get the message to prospective students then there is a college for jamaica jamaica competes initiative in which ucc corporate university will be seeking to partner with businesses in upskilling and retraining thousands of staff under this program adult learners business owners and employees many without a degree or college credits will have an opportunity for upskilling as a result of a tripartite partnership between the ucc corporate university employers and their employees at the other end of the scale we have the ucc academy ucca the technical vocational arm of the ucc group of companies at which prospective high school graduates may choose from a range of government sponsored initiatives including associate degree programs as we expand our own footprint and capacity our university is indeed gaining additional recognition and attention at home regionally and internationally outside of the traditional academic field we are proud to note our contributions in the field of business and financial sectors for example the ucc business development and consulting institute ucc bdci is providing a welcome boost for jamaica's micro small and medium-sized enterprises with a new accounting and financial management service value edge value age is a back-office service that is designed to deliver an effective suite of accounting and financial management solutions to the msme marketplace to help bring financial management capacity to firms in that sector at an affordable cost it will offer entrepreneurs and business owners the option to outsource their accounting function to the uccbdcis experience accounting staff the uccbdci is also a business development organization bdo affiliated with the development bank of jamaica dbg and is seeking to forge partnerships with other entities this division of the ucc is also working closely with other ucc groups fledgling subsidiaries as part of an ecosystem that supports entrepreneurial startups and existing businesses seeking to implement strategic growth plans ladies and gentlemen graduates as many of you are already aware the ucc group has also ventured into a variety of other non-academic sectors for example our newly established spectrum real estate and investment property arm is seeking to take the lead in delivering a mix of educational community residential and commercial development on the island the company is seeking to use planning and development skills invest an investment capital to help reshape jamaica's lifestyle environment just over a year old this subsidiary has already identified a range of property and partnerships and is poised to start exploring construction in western jamaica utilizing a public-private partnership model as the ucc group seeks to further diversify its orleans another relatively new subsidiary spectrum capital partners is managing the group's foray into the private equity arena spectrum capital partners will provide financing to the group as well as acquire interest in other subsidiary companies directly finally business process outsourcing operations are evolving across jamaica rapidly and certainly another ucc subsidiary global knowledge process solutions gkps which has been in operation for some four years has moved to differentiate and innovate enabling the creation of technology-driven solutions that will create more economic value for the company and its team members ladies and gentlemen graduates i begin by telling you that covet 19 notwithstanding this is an exciting time for the ucc and the ucc group what i have outlined for you this evening will illustrate to you why we are elated at the group's performance and anticipating even greater success this year no doubt you're as proud as we are and we look forward to even greater collaboration and partnerships as we extend the ucc global footprint again art congratulations to you on your remarkable milestone of achievement we are proud of you all ucc group power in the future [Music] this is the university of the commonwealth caribbean ucc group leadership in action podcast creating a powerful legacy i am laura butler and i am jamie your co-host in this podcast we will share the trailblazing journey of the ucc group and communicate its role in thought leadership on national regional and global issues all relating to higher education private equity real estate and the small medium and micro enterprise sectors ucc continues to pave the way for the future this podcast is the first of its kind for the university with its mission to listen to the challenges people face find solutions recognize achievements and celebrate partnerships and successes we will have leaders and subject matter experts from a wide range of industries bringing information on real topics providing interesting relatable and useful information our first episode in august will feature professor dennis gale president of ucc and chair of the ucc foundation board and marlin street forest managing director at the jamaica stock exchange who is the 2020 ucc recipient of the honorary doctorate in public policy this will be a monthly podcast and available on apple podcast spotify google podcast amazon music desert stitcher tunecore iheart and all of the ucc social media platforms look out for our first episode dropping in august be sure to visit ucc.edu.jm as well as ucc facebook and instagram for updates until then i am laura butler and i am jamie the co-host of the ucc group leadership and action podcast the fab 5 band will now delight us with a special item this is a chance to all the graduates of ucc from the top five crew yeah believe me you gotta believe in yourself believe gotta have faith in yourself though the road may be rough and the goal you may be tough believingly believe in yourself take it out anything you wanna do in life you can do with there's a goal to reach if you strive you can achieve it do the things that are right shine everything that is wrong work hard be positive and hopeful and all battles can be one day [Music] in yourself one drop you gotta believe in yourself every day and every hour don't you stay on the shelf don't you be normal flower lots of opportunities that which you want there but if you don't make a move you know if you share missing life who love ups and downs but when you are done pick yourself up off the ground stand firm work hard be hopeful and right are your brightest year will surely turn into night i've been at the sprint it is a full marathon so run agree at peace and they keep listening on this song this is the message from the fab five band to ucc graduation you gotta believe be living on yourselves be living on yourself believe believing on yourself believe believe in yourself ladies and gentlemen do join me in welcoming the ucc's senior advisor institutional effectiveness professor bernadette warner to present the candidates for the conferral of the honorary degrees ladies and gentlemen the university of the commonwealth caribbean is pleased to present the honorable gordon butch stewart for costumers of the doctor of business administration degree honoris causa in recognition of his sterling contribution to jamaica's economy and society the citation will now be read the honorable garden arthur cyril buttstort ojcd honorable lld was known throughout jamaica and the caribbean and internationally as a consummate marketer hotelio businessman entrepreneur he was former owner and chairman of senno's resorts beaches resorts and their parent company sandoz resorts international mr stewart was also founder owner and chairman of the atl group and subsidiaries appliance traders and the jamaica observer influential entities on the jamaican business landscape buchazi was affectionately called by all was a visionary and dynamic leader whose pioneering influence led to the advancement of the hospitality industry in jamaica and the caribbean he was a trail blazing entrepreneur and magnanimous philanthropist a fountain head of knowledge who positively impacted all around him and dedicated his life to providing opportunities and inspiring the realization of big dreams he started as an air conditioned salesman and built atl from the ground up into the phenomenal powerhouse it is today prevent the world's best brand of appliances for home and business the sandals and beaches resorts have earned a worldwide reputation for offering the ultimate in all-inclusive luxury vacations cupping myriad awards as the region's leading hotel brands and with properties dotted across the region are proved positive that bot stewart was a quintessential caribbean man he did not keep his knowledge to himself and during 1984 to 1988 served as president of the jamaica hotel and tourist association sharing his considerable acumen and experience in propelling the industry to international standards in 1992 but stewart gave jamaica its 20th newspaper ignoring the naysayers who reminded him of the demise of others most within five years of their establishment today the jamaica observer stands as a testament to the tenacity and drive of a man who was not afraid to dream big and was not averse to rolling up his sleeves to move concept to actualization in the shortest possible time the boy who grew up on a beach in auturias turned entrepreneur went beyond the call of duty for his beloved jamaica leaving a legacy of innovation premier jamaican brands a caribbean chain par excellence and over 15 000 team members from all walks of life we embody his core values of service hard work and loyalty he was a true ambassador for his beloved jamaica father grandfather and great-grandfather the university of the commonwealth caribbean is proud to present the honorary doctoral degree in business administration posthumously to the late honorable gordon arthur cyril butch stewart based on all that we have heard and all that we know we consider the honorable gordon butch stewart most deserving of this honor and today it is my pleasure to present this posthumous honorary doctoral degree through the powers vested in me by the board of directors of the university of the commonwealth caribbean i now confer upon the honorable gordon stewart the posthumous degree doctor of business administration honoris causa with all the rights privileges and honor there to appertaining on this day july the 18th 2021 congratulations [Music] my chairman of the university of the commonwealth caribbean ucc board of directors dr donald d rooms university of the commonwealth caribbean ucc board of directors and executive council university president professor dennis j gill group executive chairman dr winston adams ucc group of companies deputy group executive chairman mrs geraldine adams ucc group of companies executive director university council of jamaica ucj mrs althea herron director of postgraduate research university of sunderland dr john fulton representatives from our international partners the florida international university fiu and the university of arizona ua other academic partners and affiliates associate vice president academic and student affairs dr yvonne dawkins university registrar dr lincoln phipps head of department and faculty members of staff the ucc group of companies alumni students the graduating class of 2020 and 2021 friends and family members of the media good afternoon back in 2019 when the university of the commonwealth caribbean contacted my dad about awarding him with the honorary doctoral degree in business administration he was humbled and honored he quickly wrote back to graciously acknowledge this recognition and to express how truly grateful he was to be selected as a recipient of this prestigious honor even though my dad is not here today to see this moment i know he was tremendously happy to receive this degree and i speak on behalf of my entire family when i say we are honored to accept this award on his behalf my dad was committed to jamaica and the caribbean region everything he did all the decisions he made and the businesses he created were underpinned by a passion for the development of jamaica and the wider caribbean and a desire to show the world the region's limitless potential my dad was also a businessman through and through from his early years of selling air conditioners for his from his car to creating appliance trailers limited over 52 years ago and later going on to build what has today become the world's leading all-inclusive company gordon but stuart had an undeniable knack for business it is therefore incredibly fitting that this honorary degree be a degree in business administration his passion for jamaica the caribbean and for the business sector was rivaled only by his passion for educating and lifelong learning from the earliest days of our flagship resort san luis montego bay he was clear about one thing we must give back to the community and we must invest in developing our team members training has long been a founding value of sandoz resorts international and it is this belief in the power of training and educating that led to the launch of the sandoz corporate university which allows team members to advance and further their education and skills it is also this same belief that led to the creation of the sanders foundation which boasts education as a core pillar and continues to execute impactful educational programs and initiatives across the caribbean simply put my dad believed in the power of education to change and transform lives and for this reason i know he would have been a proud ambassador of the ucc the entire sandals atl and jamaica observer family is happy to accept this award on behalf of our late chairman and founder the honorable gordon butch stewart he is a legacy that will continue to live on and our award such as this from organization like the ucc will serve to further legitimize the memory of a man who was nothing short of a pioneer and trailblazer a dreamer who believed in the power of dreams and a doer who believed in the power of action thank you for this most powerful and significant award we humbly and graciously accept on his behalf ladies and gentlemen the university of the commonwealth caribbean is pleased to present for conference mrs marlene street forest for the degree doctor of public policy honoris causa in recognition of her sterling contribution to the jamaican society the article will now read the citation marlene j street forest cdjp is an exemplary leader who has blazed the trail of firsts and extraordinary achievements for jamaica in the complex and intricate world of stock market exchanges this proud native of port antonio serves as managing director of the jamaica stock exchange guiding the realization of its vision of facilitating growth and development of the company and the jamaican economy by allowing for the mobilization exchange and expansion of capital while providing a return on equity that is acceptable to shareholders under her stewardship the jse became demutualized and the us-dominated market and junior market launched she has also spearheaded the registrar division of the jamaica central depository where she served as general manager for the subsidiary of the jse today the jse is one of the largest stock exchanges in the caribbean both in size and market capitalization it is also one of the most diverse exchanges in the region encompassing sectors like banking and finance retail manufacturing insurance leisure communications conglomerates services and real estate the jsc was in 2019 named the world's top performing stock exchange by bloomberg businessweek that same year the jse partnered with the prestigious toronto-based fintech blackstone to enable issuance of digital assets and later migrated to nasdaq trading platforms mrs street forest also received the afro global excellence award for global impact from canada for exhibiting great leadership vision integrity and commitment to excellence it has been a journey of phenomenal achievements by any measure and all the more remarkable for the jamaica stock exchange proving conclusively that we're liquid but with talawa indeed mrs street forest pro s in financial management has brought her honor in her home country too in 2016 she was conferred with the order of distinction in the rank of commander class in recognition of her outstanding leadership in the growth of the jamaica stock exchange in 2017 she was celebrated by the institute for gender and development studies of the university of the west indies as a woman pioneer and in 2018 she received the rotary club of kingston east and port royal vocational services award it is evident to all that an efficiently functioning stock market is critical to economic development providing capital to companies that can be used to fund their expansion and give investors an opportunity to share profits of publicly traded companies marlene street forest has positioned the jamaica stock exchange in the conversation among much older world leaders like the london stock exchange and the new york stock exchange she has excelled in what has traditionally been regarded as a man's world winning respect not only for herself but serving as an inspiration for all women for blazing a trail of excellence internationally in the securities market and financial services industry still balancing all of her professional commitments she makes time to serve as a volunteer and to give community service as the justice of the peace and director of the good samaritan inn working for the upliftment of the poor and the marginalized the university of the commonwealth caribbean is proud to present mrs marlene street forest city jp phenomenal leader wife and mother with an honorary doctoral degree in public policy [Music] [Applause] [Music] ladies and gentlemen the president will now confer the degree doctor of public policy honoris causa through the powers vested in me by the board of directors of the university of the commonwealth caribbean i now confer upon you the degree doctor of public policy on our scouser with all the rights privileges and honor there to appertain him on this day july the 18th 2021 congratulations dr marlene street forest it is my pleasure to request that you now address the 2020 and 2021 ucc commencement ceremony today is a day of joy and gladness let us rejoice and be glad in it to the board of governors the chairman president ucc administrators faculty friends and families of the gradients i am delighted to celebrate this glorious occasion with you it is a breath of fresh air to share this new setting which allows thousands to participate and wish the gradients well this is certainly a blessing thank you so much for inviting me to this very special commencement ceremony of graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2021 this is a double blessing it is indeed a special occasion as i believe it is the first of its kind for ucc where two year groups are graduating together after covert 19 has brought us danger dread and death these past long months ucc has broken through the dilemma by producing a double gradating class you have pulled out all the stops and designed a first of its kind ceremony in alignment with your brand of innovation this is built on your core value of adaptive culture sincere gratitude goes to the board of ucc for your incredible guidance and leadership it is a joy that you have considered me worthy for this honorary degree thank you i will reuse it as a badge of continued inspiration to serve others with generosity grace and gladness a thousand congratulations to the tenacious classes of 2020 and 2021 your presence indicates that nothing could have stopped you from completing your course of studies not the covet 19 pandemic not financial burdens or other setbacks formidably done i'm excited to share a few insights with you that living has whispered to me in terms of practical wisdom and this is in the form of two p's plus t equal l in short your p's are for principles and these inform your p for priorities which determines how well you manage your t for time and this creates your l for legacy the first p principle requires you to ask yourself what are the three most vital principles that you just cannot live without for me they are integrity compassion and passion but i want to add another patience in whatever station life assigns you after graduation if you are honest in your private and public lives if you love serving others and if you give your energies to doing what you care about you will achieve unstoppable success the second p is for priorities this will help you craft a pathway to success each one of you endured to the end it is your tenacity that has given you the strength of purpose to go through the refiners fire as you like most of the world has have learned to pivot when the impact of the pandemic demolished our traditional mode of learning well done setting priorities is not just what attributes you highlight but your institution your community or organization which shapes your perspective and influence your outlook i'm here today mainly because of my deep admiration for this university ucc yes naturally i'm here because i was invited but have seen the real growth and development of this institution with roots based in the true principles of integrity innovation and discipline the infusion of fostering leadership and innovation as part of ucc's core philosophy has created a pathway for success for each graduate here today you are now part of the ucc brand of innovation next is time in the two p's plus t equal l principles reflect your priority and your priorities embody your time someone said to live fully is not counting the moments but in making the moments count time is a divine gift regardless of your field of study you are now equipped to know and apply more in such a time as this you are graduating at a time when jamaica is calling for a different way of achieving growth and prosperity therefore you must make each moment count this is a time where technology will drive innovation and innovation will drive growth a time where you must claim your rightful place within the fourth revolution or be left behind implore you to take chances push open the new doors explore and yes build empires build your empires with courage good will and more so with integrity especially in a world where success is often measured by material possessions and there's a temptation to consume and consume more life will happen take comfort in your knowledge and the knowledge that you have acquired remember that how you use this knowledge sense of reason and resourcefulness to invest in time will be the basis for wise decision making listen to the former president of morehouse college his words of wisdom i have only just a minute only 60 seconds in it forced upon me can't refuse it didn't seek it didn't choose it but it's up on me to use it i must suffer if i lose it give a count if i abuse it just a tiny little minute but eternity is in it god gave us a time here on earth and we must use it and not abuse it we must give a cone for it from the cradle to the coffin and the last part of the formula is legacy principle and priorities plus time equal legacy in the end your grave discloses not closes the quality of life you lived this is seen in the people you loved and inspired to grow flow and glow a quote from dr isaac james newton you the class of 2020 2021 are called to lead you are now equipped to help others find their way i charge you graduates of class 2020 2021 to be builders of eternity and builders for eternity congratulations may good fortune light your way and god bless you in all as you apply to please plus t equal l and as you convert all of your knowledge to purpose since you know your principles live by them since you are clear about your priorities leverage them since you value your time use it wisely and meaningfully from this moment forward harness every opportunity to make a difference in the world serve others and good will will follow you love your family remember god build a castle for others to share make your legacy matter run with the two p's plus t equal l there's a joy in being compassionate impact a life and change another person's future be the bridge builder and pave the way for others to follow may god richly bless you i now invite the associate vice president academic affairs dr yvonne dawkins to present the graduating class of 2020 university president professor gail i now present candidates who are eligible for degrees and diplomas from the university of the commonwealth caribbean for the academic period that ended in summer 2020 according to records presented to me each of these candidates has satisfied the prescribed requirements for one of our programs of study and is today eligible to receive a degree from this institution the candidates will be presented by program in the following order for the degrees of the commonwealth executive master of business administration and of public administration as well as degrees of the ucc masters of business administration for the degrees from the school of business and management four degrees from the school of technology and mathematics and four degrees from the school of humanities and law mr president i now present from the college of graduate studies and research 39 candidates 28 of whom have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive the commonwealth executive master of business administration five who have satisfied the requirements and today will receive the commonwealth executive master of public administration one who satisfied the requirements and today will receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in finance one who satisfied the requirement and today will receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in general management three who satisfy the requirements and today will receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in human resources management and one who satisfied the requirement and today will receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in marketing georgette thompson president's list otima thompson president's list [Music] kadian robinson president's list denise robertson president's list grace ann gobern president's list kadyan bailey charlene biggs kurt brown deidre and dennis amanda fraser theresa gordon sabrina graham stewart trevina grant lorna gray largey [Music] carlene haynes michael leslie [Music] reshondo mays orlis malabre sean martin shana mccleary orr [Music] veron miller burton richard montague tamika peterkin joe neale rowe errol smith pamela thomas ike troy thomas jr stephanie williams roland ranford [Music] amy brown [Music] dionne myrie deona walters [Music] owen whiteley [Music] chantel biggs misha gay ross carby renee clayton [Music] jason mcneil janelle robinson [Music] jessica mendes [Music] mr president i now present from the school of business and management department of business administration 316 candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor and associate degrees as well as diplomas 122 have satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in business administration two for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in financial management 22 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting and financial management 14 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting two for the bachelor of science in production and operations management 7 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in information systems management 65 for the bachelor of science in human resource management 34 for the bachelor of science in marketing 44 have satisfied the requirements for the associate of science in business administration two for the associate of science in production and operations management and two for the diploma in marketing paul james summa laude dean's list kittoya mitchell summa laude dean's list leighton taylor summa laude dean's list sasha lee allen magna laude thio clark magna laude vanessa doily megan wholeness magna laude shelian knight magna laude orlando samuels magna laude michelle shakespeare magna laude [Music] kadeem smith magna laude audley allen [Music] jourdain allen [Music] claudette anderson carvel bantam monique barrett ayanna blake [Music] denroy booth [Music] anthony brown camille brown carlene brown [Music] kishana brown sonic brown tanya brown purville latoya brian tracy anne burrell colleen clark [Music] karine clarke [Music] marcia cummings thani dakas antoinette daley mullings [Music] denisha davis [Music] andre davey [Music] angela dixon barrett yvette duhaney [Music] karen don norton sasha gay edwards [Music] arlene ferguson [Music] flavia francis [Music] kedian francis [Music] julian fuller anne-marie goldson shireen green roger hall [Music] wendy hall jerice hamilton [Music] shana k heslop jermaine heinz [Music] nakisha hudson sasha lee [Music] jackson simone james deidre johnson [Music] diane johnson [Music] simone johnson latoya joseph [Music] keisha kelly cheverne curlew [Music] ashley lemme jason lewis dale lindo rodin lynch vanessa mccain mills walters kimi minzee kamonya morris robert mundell [Music] delsha monroe latoya palmer mona lisa palmer stacy ann parker yanika pike chantoy powell miller kemoya price shalondar roberts kaheem robinson bridget russell patrice citron scott natasha smith [Music] shawnette smith sherri lee smith marilyn spence krista sterling shana sutherland rochelle swaby [Music] yuki san tennyson serena thompson keisha thompson johnson carlene tingle [Music] damani wade tracy ann watkiss elmy wellington brenda williams rickedo williams tiffany williams trisha williams sashika wright jean barnett johnson nikisha blair nadine brooks aishika burke sarah douglas marinette erskine tamara lafayette rosemarie lee where nicola martin shadeen mcintosh hall lance mckenzie anticia mccoy and mosley [Music] staceyanne palmer [Music] devon perry alicia sangster goodin [Music] natalie smith white [Music] patrick stewart [Music] marcia taylor [Music] taylor beverly vernon pearson [Music] nadisha warburton jason young sachel bailey summa laude dean's list trishell barrett magna laude [Music] magna magna laude tasha allen shanley bolton abigail campbell angelo clark williams karen dickson [Music] charmaine gibson wright terion gillette [Music] maxine goborn melissa graham sanchez green henry sharika harris dane hussey gillette johnson tamika kelly elizabeth king [Music] shanique mcfarland millicent michael henry karine mitchell shaylee niche nicole shem kalyan sidhu [Music] camille sinclair paula quell smith anika thompson andrei turner [Music] wilson [Music] erica bennett kadisha bennett tanisha brown william dixon marvet gordon vela harriott janil harvey keon merit nicola robinson miller [Music] [Music] latoya gordon daley magna [Music] bartley fiona beason ricketts judy ann beckford misha brooks truman lorraine brown simone brown thomas tremont brian ricardo clarke patrine davis walcott jerome dixon kalila francis tiffany gillespie monique gordon rashida gordon simone hall veneka hamilton brac amoy horton ricardo hemmings nordia henry wills nadine hutchinson raquel hilton roslyn jackson henry kendra johnson fiona lawrence kedian lawrence emma logan sasha manning sharla mcdonald annella mckenzie you fema morris francis lisia mignot janika morgan carell mullings andrea park nerissa pickersgill heinz giselle poisa oredo poisa shauna reed tennessee roy itasha sewell anishka stewart karen stuart graham tamika sutherland beverly tennant kadesh wallace marlene wallen keith jamie lee warren dominique williams and drean wilson [Music] janet ray kellyanne york [Music] camellia black cattley bobron larry barrell brenda campbell tashina graham sashoi hall aisha ricketts georgia mackenzie nolan magna laude maurice mcdonald magno laude chevelle dempster magno laude shanique baker stephen bowen renee brown martial campbell othniel carr stephanie clark shanika edwards oshima green kamal groves felicia harriott peter gay hopwood brendelin little ramsey vandana reed sheena summon melissa tito andre walker roxanne west kedian wang trudy winter rayon foster rasheema jackson rowan mccallum tennyson rhoden kisha k scarlet amoy simpson [Music] leslie smith veronica wade [Music] yuan heyman magna laude richard rochester yanik ramdeel sharma lee hammond cuisine francis carlene colburn juliet chang chantelle brown allen patrice brown simone brown romaine mckenzie kurt tomlinson [Music] charmaine williams kemi reed scarlett suma comlade dean's list alicia grant magna laude kerwin bowie tanya barrett natoya bennett nadine brown brooks lamisha brown corridon romaine butler yasha constantine ivani douglas [Music] akeema ferguson [Music] morrison david myers melissa o'connor lawrence peter gay perkins nicola ratchery riley tamoya watts jared carter [Music] patricia coke [Music] cecilia kelly andre roden vernica robinson rosalie walcott thomas alicia bernard robinson magna laude nathan hamilton claudine bonner magna laude kirk mccain kadisha pinock sofia price dakota rose marlon smith bruce stewart monique hamel [Music] o'neil walker christina gibson magna laude sadiki sadler kerona dixon camisha rooms mr president i now present from the school of business and management department of tourism and hospitality management four candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are totally eligible to receive the bachelor's as well as associate degrees three have satisfied the requirements for the bachelors of sands and tourism and hospitality management and one has satisfied the requirements for the associate of science and tourism and hospitality management renee brown nicole samuels latoya walker rahim morley mr president i know present from the school of information technology and mathematics 33 candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor's as well as associates degrees 29 have satisfied the requirements for the bachelors of science in information technology and four have satisfied the requirement for the associate of science in management information systems andrew graham summa laude dean's list jamie green summa laude dean's list paul chambers magna laude de vere rogers magna laude rohan wood [Music] marco williams marlon walker heather lee rafael amica oates gary montague romeo mcdonald [Music] feyen mccalla reginald lodrick nastasia lawrence jason lampard charlton kerr trisha jeffrey monique fraser christopher farron andre dixon mark brown jomo blake [Music] garson anglin richard dennis collette hebert michael scott jeremy williams robert daly [Music] dana dunkley [Music] carrie anne roe small michael scott [Music] mr president i now present from the school of humanities and law five candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor's degrees one has satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in applied psychology and four have satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in social work danielle solomon mandi lee chum summa laude dean's list sashalee morrison [Music] cedric pascal antoinette weber through the powers vested in me by the board of directors of the university of the commonwealth caribbean as president the authority of the commonwealth of learning and the university council of jamaica i now confer upon each of you the degree for which you have been presented i congratulate you congratulations mr bernard benson distinguished himself as a senior executive of the celebrated u.s based firm of financial advisors mary lynch minneapolis minnesota private client group in 2002 he was listed as one of the top 30 financial advisors in the united states of america by r.j shook in his book the winners circle and named one of america's top brokers by registers rep magazine that same year a kind and generous philanthropist and humanitarian bernard benson has been paying it forward for others to excel as founder of the ramona and benson scholarship foundation he has since 2016 provided scholarships for students to the university of the commonwealth caribbean five self-driven and outstanding individuals have already embarked on their journey to pursue tertiary education at the university of the commonwealth caribbean while the foundation has also provided funding for students at two other local tertiary institutions mr bernard benson has greatly improved the access to higher education of scores of jamaicans thereby contributing to the strengthening of quality of life and the economy thanks to him many young graduates will start their adult lives mentally well equipped for the world of work the university of the commonwealth caribbean is proud to present mr bernard benson with the ucc humanitarian leadership award dr winston adams the ucc family graduating class 2020 and 21. friends and family good afternoon i extend my appreciation on behalf of the benson family and myself i'm truly honored to accept this award if our financial giving to younger generations is the means for a better future that i give it is a success and spring hope for a better world a chance to say to all graduates i challenge you as you embrace new norms strive to be the master of your successes thank you cc family sincerely from across the world and from our hearts thank you i now invite associate vice president academic affairs dr yvonne dawkins to present the graduating class of 2021 university president i now present candidates who are eligible for degrees and diplomas from the university of the commonwealth caribbean for the academic year ending 2021. according to records presented to me each of these candidates has satisfied the prescribed requirements for one of our programs of study and is today eligible to receive a degree from this institution the candidates will be presented by program in the following order for the degrees of the commonwealth executive master of business administration and the ucc masters of business administration for the degrees from the school of business and management for the degrees from the school of technology and mathematics and for the degrees from the school of humanities and law mr president i now present from the college of graduate studies and research 48 candidates 37 of whom have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive the commonwealth executive master of business administration five who have satisfied the requirements and will today receive the commonwealth executive master of public administration two how satisfy the requirements and will today receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in accounting one who has satisfied the requirements and will today receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in entrepreneurship two who have satisfied the requirements and will today receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in human resources management and one who has satisfied the requirements and will today receive the university of the commonwealth caribbean master of business administration in marketing farah hansel murray president's list [Music] cassandra law president's list patricia stennett campbell presidency michelle williams president's list shaniel wright taylor presidency [Music] kamisha aikens isaacs richard benjamin olive bernard deidre brown lorraine campbell andrea clarke antoinette cohen palmer sean dunkley al marie graham dalia griffiths goodison curtis hepburn donna hepburn reginald heard michelle jackson cummings simone johnson tracia johnson tajay knuckle [Music] sharian mcfar cabron shellian mclagan [Music] rhonda price paulette radway johann rampare raquay samwells carrion scott bernard anna k stevens days nordia strawn ian tomlinson paula walker [Music] sasha gay weatherburn derrick allen dion brooks [Music] you are todays [Music] gregory mayne [Music] michelle sterling emilia thomas woodburn rener watson joan johnson luchene robinson lauret adams thomas presidency anthony dickson mckenzie dianne samwells [Music] mr president i now present from the school of business and management department of business administration 428 candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor as well as associate degrees 164 have satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in business administration five for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in financial management 52 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting and financial management 14 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting five for the bachelor of science in production and operations management 11 for the bachelor of science in business administration with a major in information systems management one for the bachelor of science in logistics and operations management 62 for the bachelor of science in human resource management 44 for the bachelor of science in marketing 68 have satisfied the requirements for the associate of science in business administration for the associate of science in marketing and one for the associate of science in production and operations management tavia ming [Music] dean's list denise adams magna laude charmin anderson magna laude [Music] magna laude sharida bailey magna laude christa gay brown magna laude [Music] caldron edwards magna laude [Music] ricardo harding magna mckenzie magna laude tanya morrison anastasia satchel magna laude alicia sinclair magna laude lisa walker magna laude jillian alexander karen allison [Music] lynette bailey raxine bailey antoinette beaumont nikisha velvet gay roy blake mavisha blake roll erika brown lorraine brown olivia brown patrice brown raymond brown ricardo brown [Music] tanisha brown [Music] stacy brian tania brian julene brian williams simone burke [Music] shaday kane diane campbell michelle campbell tashika campbell latoya carter kevin clark patrice clarke alicia cohen tanya crossdale michael daley kalisha davis beverly davis grant colleen dempster natalie dennis shivoya dylan kedian dixon samantha douglas simone duncan danish idram petrine esson stephanie eubanks nikisha evans carriane facey tricia ferran nicola forbes [Music] annie francis latoya francis andre fraser [Music] carlone gilbert [Music] rohan gordon jillian gordon barton sushanna graham fisher charmaine grant [Music] pete green janet hall [Music] amoy hanniford dawn hanson tanya harriott o'brien harrison [Music] shellyanne harvey tashana henry [Music] shellyanne hudson thompson tamar hyman [Music] marlene johnson regina johnson trisha johnson simone carlew princess lawrence [Music] trinica lee whitney levy audia lewis rasheed lloyd jarangula ludwika [Music] chantal mahabhir oppa manning natalie mattis winsome mcdermott sade mcintosh odette mckerney [Music] marlene mclean [Music] kevin miller camille morales [Music] kimberly morrison [Music] matthew myers [Music] abigail myrie vanessa palmer [Music] dermot parchment georgia patton kadeen patterson ronique patterson sofia penicott carol powell hardy collette pretty samantha price jodae richards [Music] stacy ann richards rachel robert marcely robinson bailey chefel rock grace russell juliet scott lorena scott samantha scott schuler scott recodera citadel jamie shettlesworth tony sinclair dionya singh carriane smykel sharon smith and dream squire davida stevens raquel stevenson david stewart randy stewart sancia thompson marvin thompson palmer althea tomlin to neil tomlinson ellis marsha turner shanice vernon ishan virgo kisha walker candice wallace karen wallace tamisha whitaker charnet willie georgia wilmot avigay wilson tamar wilson [Music] carlton windeth [Music] monique wood trishana wright [Music] sushana bright green janiece barnes elliot celia davis ashika daya [Music] dennis mcdonald [Music] natasha mcnabb diane [Music] mills yvonne redley [Music] tricia redwood ophelia reed [Music] stacy anne richards lexiane ross marcia taylor kadian taylor mclean michaela bailly summa laude president's list suzette spooner mcintosh dean's list janelle campbell magna laude stacy ann duncan magna laude magna laude christopher foster magna laude latoya green magna laude [Music] [Music] surf montague magna laude shanice anderson mckellap [Music] tamika barrett amoy blair [Music] carter lorraine coote desia drummond bridgette duncan althea edwards benin shatoya gordon teresa gordon martin odlin haley foster ronda horton blackman michelle henry o'neal henry duane jackson nicholas johnson [Music] malika knight [Music] roell law anilia lawrence tashona macdonald amoy mckenzie carrie miller cicadia morgan [Music] andrein morrison kadeen pratt [Music] ngozi rankin christina redway [Music] andre reed gordon debian robertson burrell [Music] dahlia scott shanika shirley [Music] cedric smart [Music] marie thorpe blackwood shana terrell craig warren daedra watt carrice williams lewis kirsten williams wilson ingrid atkins sylvita coley rosemary daily trishana green houston marie johnson ashani morgan toni morrison shanna robinson [Music] jordan sutherland [Music] danielle wade [Music] carlene white rochelle willis deidre brown summa laude dean's list kamoy crawford summa laude dean's list trisha greenwood phillips summa laude dean's list jaynard carter magna laude suzette darian magna nadia johnson [Music] shauna gay clark carnet column mathy antoinette crossdale sinclair sanya cunningham anika dawkins [Music] judith drummond stacy ann edwards [Music] darrell ellis donnett forrest [Music] charmaine francis selma francis anees gardner mota latoya garvey chrysandra grant ryan gray monique grayson gianna greene gladys henry hensley holmes shawnee hilton chevelle hilton dominique johnson samada lee marcio lewis vonnet malcolm dana marks venice milford chanel morant dawin morris adrian morrison karim nelson khalil nelson [Music] valerie newman monica nicholas natalie pinock mishka plummer annette robinson cayenne robinson van horn jovian rose karim sowell stephanie smiko donette stanley [Music] tamara stewart shalia wilkes [Music] kadyan williams tamika wright [Music] robert campbell tashino campbell [Music] to sean farkasan [Music] andrean gillings fong jamila parkinson [Music] lorna winter todd annalisa burke summa laude dean's list sharida morgan magna thorburn magna laude claudette allen rochelle anderson candice barkley [Music] stacy anne brooks erica burnt tia caballero [Music] janisha hamba [Music] patrick carnegie [Music] anella edwards [Music] aldean fenton rohan finley [Music] danielle hugh charlotte wholeness maurice hudson [Music] casey jarrett joelle johnson shannon leckie [Music] kimon liber yaniki madden kimon malcom [Music] nichelle masters bennett recalia mclean celine macmillan [Music] lashon mills chalice nelson ancia ricketts talcia rose christine smart [Music] tirika stephens leota thompson natalie tomlinson cameron chad anderson [Music] krishna shattani al-amish kritany edward muir rana k harker chalice richards shanika thompson welton gordon saday mccloud summer come dean's list olivia copeland summer come lady dean's list julian you're magna laude tracy anne gail reed [Music] raymore [Music] bogle wrangler [Music] athalia brown [Music] narine sally suzette williams ellis [Music] samantha wolfe cleon abraham zuma laude dean's list antoinette rashford summa laude dean's list shakira brooks thomas magna laude janiece nugent williams magna laude natalie parker magna laude sharika prince magna laude [Music] patrina bent roberts jodianne blackwood dmitry bose [Music] latoya bromfield [Music] tanisha burke andre callahan [Music] theresa campbell denise davis demar denny hemline dorlis [Music] chardia facey claudia gale stacy ann golding [Music] alexi grant robert grant shannon grant janelle harding [Music] keisha henry trudy hibert [Music] fiona hyatt williams [Music] fatim jarrah parise kildare charmaine loftus [Music] latoya marsh kadeen manfrese christine monroe tamara morgan tanisha morgan williams lorraine philip barnes queen reed magna laude yvonne rhoden rose natalie rose douglas marcia ross peter gay senior tamika andrea sterling [Music] steve stewart [Music] anair thompson [Music] rolando thompson [Music] nasika thorpe simone vernon smith karine young anisha brown tamika brown alexander trudianne brown harvey o'neil fitton summer come lady deanslis anil felicia thompson sushana wint [Music] andrea halston bryan magna laude theresa palmer magna laude dionna anderson paulette bailey tiffany grant regina greene michaela mullings megan taylor [Music] kellyanne thompson [Music] tony and daley [Music] george pinock [Music] kenroy carr [Music] devaro bolton [Music] ozano christie kellyanne greene raquel palmer denver smith joelle ferguson tamiko sawyers mr president i now present from the school of business and management department of tourism and hospitality management 24 candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor's as well as associate degrees 17 have satisfied the requirements for the bachelors of sands and tourism and hospitality management and seven have satisfied the requirements for the associate of science and tourism and hospitality management deidre campbell april gray shari kiffin abigail lewellen nationaik mundell chantel myrie dakota nem hard [Music] rosalie pearson watson nicola anderson francis rashida blackwood danielle bryan tiana daley rochelle ferguson moya gay morrison [Music] sharna poorman [Music] kellyanne stennett magna laude shanika good tager taylor fabian gardner tamarsha gordon jerem green mr president i now present from the school of information technology and mathematics 63 candidates who have satisfied the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor's as well as associates degrees 56 have satisfied the requirements for the bachelors of science in information technology one has satisfied the requirements for the associate of science and management information systems and six for the associate of science in information technology shawna k anglin summer laude president's list [Music] [Music] lorenzo christopher [Music] francis magno laude jermaine josephs magna laude jamie mclarty magna laude sade neil magna laude jasmine pinock magna laude devoyan aitkin [Music] stacy anderson angel baker [Music] barton [Music] matthew callahan [Music] chenoy campbell [Music] alan carter brianna chang [Music] robert dillon [Music] dane doctor wendy dressicky gordon nicola east campbell mikhail farkasan [Music] joseph flemings tashana harris [Music] robert hemans raymond henry [Music] christopher howe [Music] oh john johnson [Music] dahlia and jones shamar mason [Music] albert mckenzie julian mckenzie [Music] adrian mcneil [Music] nuke macpherson roche new phil melissa paris andre poizo cherry russell maurice sawyers lancelot scott jordan senior renew seymour [Music] smith ian stevenson jacqueline studdard [Music] fitzroy thompson laureen thompson [Music] kizzy ann webley gary welsh [Music] kaden woodstock [Music] sean finn andretti jackson [Music] elena utah orva waldron [Music] fabian wright otis keith magna laude deangelo henry craig wilmot sharian nelson latoya brooks magna laude mr president i now present from the school of humanities and law ten candidates who the requirements and are today eligible to receive bachelor's degrees six have satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in applied and four have satisfied the requirements for the bachelor of science in social work [Music] magna laude neander brown [Music] kelvin edwards laureen grace natasha parkinson stacy ann stewart summa laude dean's list ricardo hemmings kenisha o'connor tuanyo williams through the powers vested in me by the board of directors of the university of the commonwealth caribbean as president the authority of the commonwealth of learning and the university council of jamaica i now confer upon each of you the degree for which you have been presented i congratulate you congratulations as a special tribute to the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 we are pleased to welcome performers from the edna manly college of the visual and performing arts to honor our graduates with a song [Music] i can almost see it that dream i'm dreaming but there's a voice inside my head saying you'll never reach it every step i'm taking every move i make feels lost with no direction my faith is shaking but i i gotta keep [Music] always gonna want to make it move [Music] ain't about how fast i get there ain't nobody was waiting on the other side [Music] the struggles i'm facing the chances i'm [Music] [Music] that [Music] just [Music] sometimes is [Music] there's always gonna be another mountain [Music] i'm always gonna make [Music] [Applause] [Music] was [Music] is [Music] [Applause] keep on building keep on [Music] climbing keep on moving [Music] [Music] congratulations graduates to speak on behalf of the graduating class of 2020 and 2021 we invite the valedictorians to deliver the valedictory address group executive chairman dr winston adams deputy group executive chairman mrs geraldine adams university president professor dennis gale members of the faculty administrative and ancillary staff families friends and fellow graduates a pleasant good afternoon to you we have made it through the days of staying up and stressing over exams are finally over congratulations graduating class of 2020 i feel humbled and i stand proud today representing you god has been good to us and we are forever grateful for his continuous blessings in our lives to our families and true friends who have been very supportive throughout our studies we the graduating class of 2020 would like to thank you for all your purrs and encouragement truly without your support we would not have reached where we are today my fellow graduates it is possible trust in god you can't achieve anything in this life but you have to believe in yourself when i entered the authorius campus of ucc back in january 2018 i'm sure many of you like myself had only one aim to get a degree and leave but it wasn't as easy and simple as we thought each semester we had to overcome two main obstacles called coursework and exam we hid from some of our lecturers because we believed that they would grade us too hard they were too hard man my fellow graduates will agree with me that there were times when we wanted to give up but we persevered and we stand as victors conquering all obstacles speaking of that how could we forget the challenges that we face with the coronavirus pandemic covid19 threatened the core of our education system as well as our humanity this was unprecedented times never in our lifetime have we ever witnessed anything like this or schools were ordered to close and we had to learn new ways of studying our schools were ordered to close and we had to learn how to socially distant thanks to technology we found innovative ways to finish our studies while trying to keep safe we all had to go online to do all classes because kovinda keep i have a ton of yard for many it was a real challenge some persons had to sit out a few semesters while others took advantage of the up to 50 percent discount that ucc was offering but what we have learned from this experience is that we must accept changes and be willing to adopt to new norms and conditions we learned that we must get comfortable with the uncomfortable in the end we came out victorious because we are strong and resilient and nothing could stop us from achieving our goals after feeling exhausted along the way we are now at the end of our journey we have arrived graduates we can now look in the rearview mirror and smile because success is here looking back i want to say a big thank you to all our lecturers we now realized that you were not hard on us but you wanted the best for us most of our lectures have done a great job imparting their knowledge and helping us to make it through university today i want to thank the faculty and members of staff from ucc for contributing to our success today special commendations to our lecturers who did not only teach us content but also inspire us to become better versions of ourselves mr hugh johnson big up yourself because we remembered all the encouragement and all the hard work i am sure the ochi group will agree with me that you have a way of encouraging us in real jamaican terms you made the time on saturdays for long hours to prepare us for company law exams and you never complained mr kevin powell and mr jerome cohen and a host of other lecturers have been an inspiration and a true role model to us the class of 2020. mr kevin powell and jerome cohen and a host of other lecturers have been an inspiration and a true role models to the class of 2020 finally graduates it was indeed a remarkable journey we have learned some valuable lessons this school system represents a social elevator moving us from the real bottom of society to the very top the time has come for us to take up more challenging roles in the world we are equipped with the knowledge needed to go out there and make a difference and be a part of the change our noble university has taught us to go out there and foster leadership and innovation this coincides with nelson mandela's quote which says education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world ucc has prepared us to be life changers to go out there and be the change that we wish to see in the world but we must believe in ourselves the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams what was once a dream is no a reality we are graduates looking to go even further to expand our knowledge like the eagle we will spread our wings we will soar because the sky is the limit thank you very much [Applause] to our group executive chairman dr winston adams deputy group executive chairperson mistress geraldine adams university president professor dennis gale members of the faculty administrative and ancillary staff family friends and fellow graduates a felicitous afternoon to you all i implore your indulgence for a few minutes as i pause to reflect on our collective academic sojourn through the hollowed halls of this illustrious university firstly i acknowledge my lord and savior jesus christ who inspired me with these words as recorded in matthew 19 verse 26 but with god all things are possible my mentor and father bishop dr gary welsh taught me that is that it is never well beginning but well done having never received an academic award from any other school to being designated the 2021 valedictorian of the university of the commonwealth caribbean i concur with the words of the late revolutionary leader nelson mandela it always seems impossible until it is done when nelson mandela was released from prison on february 11 1990 bishop desmond 2 2 said this is a joyous day to the human spirit today the class of 2021 can relive that historical moment in time a joyous day indeed one does not understand the extent of the journey until they have had the opportunity to look backwards on the distance traveled as we stand today on the cusp of a future filled with infinite or possibilities it behooves us to consider the many valuable lessons we have learned through the outstanding leadership and innovation of this eminent university it is often said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step for some of us our journey feels like we have traveled several thousand miles our journey of building capacity involved the process of unlearning relearning and learning we had to unlearn what we understood as rest and relaxation as we met seemingly unattainable deadlines we had to relearn the discipline of managing assignments treacherous group work church work and family life then of course we had to learn how to navigate the challenges of a global pandemic with the entire course of study transferred to online learning platforms truly we have done well we learned to adapt to changes over which we had no control to survive on little or no sleep to obtain nutritional sustenance from simple meals such as popcorn peanuts bread soup with only liquid and rice and sardines completing assignments or preparing for exams at times we had to focus on school even whilst navigating the death of a loved one or sometimes expectancy of new life we also learnt that we could attend the classes while driving cooking tending to newborns or helping our children with their assignments the good book says all hard work brings a profit and as such we are now reaping the bountiful fruit from those seeds of hard work and discipline with such diversity in our class i commend each of you for efficaciously contending with the challenges of the various disciplines some of which were hostile to our mental and physical psyche but in the end we have survived according to the motto of my former alma mater immaculate conception high school at astra prospero through difficulties to excellence there is a song by dorothy moore many moons ago laugh it off making fun where none has been before this journey was an uphill struggle for some of us but several candid spots of humor tempered the difficulties who could forget racing through new kingston traffic to ensure that parking was available for those never-ending evening classes do you recall when the launch of the canteen was finished as hunger gnawed at our stomachs after a long hungry day of classes or the sounds of jamaica carnival streaming through the windows of the examination room whilst we tried to recall michael porter's five forces model truly antoinette and i had to just laugh it off i wish to engage you my fellow graduates by sharing a story my father bishop dr gary welsh told me some time ago which has resonated with me he's from saint elizabeth where as a child one of his daily tasks was to carry water and fill the drum at the side of the house some of us like mr powell may know what i'm talking about so on this particular occasion he had carried water i pardoned me he had carried water all morning and upon looking into the drum realized it was just at the first crease and he began crying his mother called him to inquire and he shared his frustration his mother said just continue carrying the water and pour it in but do not look in the drum when it is full it will run over for much of this journey to academic excellence some of us just carried the water one discussion question one mid module one end of semester assessment at a time we are going out into the real world where we will have to face some daunting tasks tasks that require commitment and sacrifice of filling large drums let us go forth with pride and determination to fill our respective spaces incrementally and purposefully one trip one drum at a time in closing let me remind us all that we are responsible and capable of changing the narrative given to us by history some of us are here today representing the first or only university graduate in our family some of us like myself are representing those of us who never thought we would have the opportunity to realize the far-fetched dream of ascending the ladder of higher education i charge you i charge all of us to run your own race with patience determination and resilience then chart your own destiny with audacious passion and excellence the motto of our university is fostering leadership and innovation may we the graduating class of 2021 pursue our future endeavors with servant leadership and world changing innovation to my mother linda delores buchanan who rose above the indignity and shame of domestic violence and abject poverty to give her children a better future thank you to my mentors winston and brenda blake thank you for pushing me relentlessly for the better part of 20 years to overcome self-doubt and reluctance in order to pursue higher education to my beloved university of the commonwealth caribbean thank you for creating innovative ways and convenient channels for adult learners like myself to pursue our dreams of academic achievement to outstanding memorable lecturers such as mr kevin powell miss suzette sylvester mr eric morrison mistress yuna tracy mr andrew edie mistress grace cowan allen and several others thank you for unearthing the seed of our raw potential and pushing us beyond our limits to produce distinguished academic fruit to the administrative and ancillary staff and security team thank you for providing professional service and valuable support which enhanced or experienced tremendously to our relatives spouses church family and friends thank you for the many prayers and encouraging words which cheered us on and sustained us as we navigated the choppy seas of this sojourn to my fellow graduates and particularly my study partner for life mistress antoinette crossdale sinclair thank you for enabling us to become better versions of ourselves to my cheerleaders at the jones avenue new testament church of god thank you for praying me through without ceasing finally to my beloved husband mark and my indomitable daughter kaylee renee thank you both for being my unwavering towers of strength every step of the way today as we leave the hollowed halls of this illustrious university having completed only one of our many life journeys i encourage you my fellow graduates with the words of henry wadsworth long fellow as recorded in his poem the latter of saint augustine heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight but they while their companions slipped were toiling upwards through the night keep toiling upwards i thank you and the lord be with you 2021 high school graduates across jamaica be a part of the ministry of education youth and information's groundbreaking sixth form pathway program at the university of the commonwealth caribbean ucc and benefit from free tuition for two years for most programs through this export program high school graduates can transition to grade 12 to earn an associate's degree or other vocational certifications after grade 13 then if you wish seamless to complete your ucc bachelor's degree in just two more years visit ucc.edu.jm for details or call us at atom69063000 ucc fostering leadership and innovation distinguished ladies and gentlemen graduates parents spouses and children ucc administrators faculty staff students and well-wishers we thank you for your participation and presence at today's commencement and may god bless you all [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] me [Music] foreign

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Length: 198min 21sec (11901 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 19 2021