It was generally regarded as an excellent coincidence that the 2017 Second Graduation Ceremony of the eleven-year-old Anguilla Community College occurred while the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution was still fresh on the minds of Anguillians. The higher level of learning institution is one of the highlighted achievements of the bold step taken by the people of the island who demanded a better Anguilla in 1967. It short, it represents a revolution in the development and delivery of education from its low level in Anguilla half a century ago.
The June 15 auspicious event filled to capacity the Church of God (Holiness), on the Queen Elizabeth Avenue, still decorated for the special Anguilla Day celebration. The Community College graduates were the recipients of Associate Degrees in Business Studies, Management of Information Systems, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Early Childhood and Primary Education; a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Diplomas in Marketing and Management and Certificates in Basic Geriatric Care and Construction Studies.
In her congratulatory remarks, Governor Christina Scott told the 79 graduates that Anguilla’s journey over the next half a century fell partly on their shoulders.
“Armed with your newly-acquired education and a sense of accomplishment, you now have the opportunity to write the next chapter in your lives,” she stressed. She also told them that they were required “to lead the change you want to see to support your country to develop and grow.”
Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, prefaced his remarks by referring to the Anguilla Revolution and the fact that one of its goals was to ensure that education was key to the success of the island. He continued. “I want to say to you, graduates, that you are blessed to have achieved this leg of your tertiary education right here on Anguilla. The Anguilla Revolution and the struggle for self-determination, by a number of visionary Anguillians, made this possible. We must therefore reflect on this with an attitude of gratitude on where we are. I start in that context to illustrate the relevance of the Anguilla Community College to the mission of the early leaders of the Anguilla Revolution to building a nation proud, strong and free. You, the graduates, though privileged to have the opportunity to achieve this milestone in your development at home, on the Rock, must also be congratulated for making the best of this opportunity.”
The Chief Minister commended the Board, Management and Staff of the College for the important role they played in the success of the graduates.
Addressing the graduates, Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, said in part: “The fact that you are graduating today is a clear testimony that you have successfully gone through the rigours that have culminated in you being conferred with degrees, diplomas and certificates. I wish you every success in your future endeavours.”
The Minister stressed that more important than being successful was to be useful. “Aspire not just to be successful for the bragging rights, but aspire to be useful,” she advised them. “Aspire to make a difference in your small corner of the world where, in addition to developing yourself, you are developing others. No matter what you decide to do now, or in the future, you would have grown in some way from your experience at the Anguilla Community College. You made a commitment to learning – and by virtue of the fact that you are graduating, you have accomplished something significant. It is now time to put to use the skills you have acquired.”
Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr. Rodney Rey, told the graduates: “Your success is a demonstration of your commitment, resilience and fortitude. You therefore deserve the praise and commendation. We are indeed pleased that you chose the Anguilla Community College to complete this phase of your academic and technical education. We trust that your experiences at the College, with the management, faculty and your fellow students, have provided the requisite academic, technical and social skills that will enable you to make a successful transition to the world of work and provide you with a firm foundation for further training and life-long education.”
The Commencement Address was delivered by ordained Minister, Mr. David Christmas. Among other matters he exhorted the graduates to continue to plan their future. “Preparation and planning come from the fact that you have arrived at your place of success because you prepared yourself and planned what you intended to do with your life. Therefore, going forward, your journey must be to continue to prepare yourself. Don’t ever stop learning,” he emphasised.
For those in the workforce, Mr. Christmas had this admonition: “Be professional. That means when you show up to work remember to leave personal [matters] out of the door. You must learn to focus on why you were hired and work for the salaries you are collecting. Too often petty things step in and all of a sudden personal grievances stop us from being professional. But if you are a professional, which you have been trained to be, you must continue to take that level of professionalism to the workplace and the world.”
Acting President of the College, Dr. Leroy Hill, said the graduation ceremony came at an important time in Anguilla’s history, allowing all persons to reflect on the accomplishments of the island.
Speaking on “Empowered to Go Forward”, the theme of the graduation ceremony, Dr. Hill directly addressed the graduates. “Your success did not come from a feeling of entitlement but rather from a strong determination to move forward,” he stated. “You were determined not to be intimidated by negative suppositions or be stalled by incapacitating circumstances. The obstacles often came in the form of financial burdens, family, work commitments and resentful critics. Despite it all, you have made it this far. You were empowered by an unending spirit, a maturing intellect and a strong purpose to succeed. You were empowered to go forward through sleepless nights, times of uncertainty and endless conflicting assignment deadlines. You persevered and never gave up because you were empowered to go forward.”
In addition to Government and Education officials in Anguilla, the large gathering at the graduation ceremony included various distinguished visitors. Among them were: Dr. Francio Guadeloupe, President of the University of St. Maarten; Dr. Babalola Ogunkola, Director of the School of Education at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies; and Dr. Karl Dawson, President of the Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions in Jamaica.
