Another event of student recognition passed lately, making its mark on the night of Thursday, November 28th, at the St. Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church. It was the Awards Ceremony of the Comprehensive Learning Centre, now in its sixteenth year of operations as one of Anguilla’s most proficient out-of-school academies for those who have finished the mainstream high school, but who desire to study further.
Some 60 graduates of the academy were recognized for their dedicated work and personal achievements. The night was one accented with pride on the part of the students who had made another milestone on the journey of education. Many of them had embarked on the road of rigorous studies even in the aftermath of the notorious Hurricane Irma. They could not help but being grateful for the graceful treatment that had been afforded them throughout the entire course of their studies.
This year, the Centre paid tribute particularly to one unique student who had struggled against the odds to attain success at the academy. She was Miss Cicely Maggie Hodge who looked back on her 2 years at the Centre with grateful reflection. In part, she remarked: “Applying to the Comprehensive Learning Centre was not my will, but a command from my very special mom, Mrs. Anita Martin-Ruan. She once said to me, in her St Kitts twang: ‘Mags wha you doing this year?’
“I stood in silence. She continued by saying, ‘Sandra has excellent programmes and teachers at CLC. You are doing Office Administration (OA).’ My response was, ‘Ms Ru whatever you say. I am not doing anything for me. I am doing everything for you.’ My goal is to become a Holistic Medicine Practitioner so my first choice would have been Chemistry since I had completed Biology. But, Ms Ru said that I need 5 CSEC subjects to go anywhere, so to CLC I went. As usual her advice was spot on.
“At the Comprehensive Learning Centre the learning atmosphere conveys a feeling of being at home. At every class there was the constant sound of the teachers encouragement: ‘Students please revise’. ‘Who needs help in this area?’ ‘Am I going too fast?’ And so on. The tutors didn’t just give the reminders, but encouraged us to do our best in every subject we were doing, and advised us to apply the skills and lessons learnt to our lives.
“What I will carry with me forever was the message left with me on exam day by my OA tutor, Gina Brooks. She presented each student with a goodie bag containing water, mints, chiclets and a note which I have kept. The back of the note says ‘BE INSPIRED’ and the front reads: ‘Dearest Maggie: Continue on your quest for excellence and success. You are a shining example for your children. Soar on! Love, Peace and Many Blessings! Teach. OA @ CLC 2017-2018.’
“How can I forget Mrs. York-Gumbs who often sat and observed our classes. As she sat quietly, we would sometimes hear her calm voice saying, ‘Students be mindful, you are to put in the work to get the results.’ She would always make sure to say that twice. She would then continue by saying, ‘The tutors put in their part, but you’re the student and it shows when the results come back.”’
Mrs. Sandra York-Gumbs is the Founder and Proprietor of the Comprehensive Learning Centre. In her address to the ceremony, she said in part:
“Sixteen years ago, the CLC breathed its first breath and who could tell its future? Certainly, a firm foundation of innovation and determination, bundled with passion and love for humanity, solidified the Centre’s existence. Yet it needed your confidence, and the confidence of all the hundreds of learners, who have embraced its mission and vision, to see it journey through to 2018. Tonight, I thank you for having faith in us, sixteen years later. Sustained by the giver of life and light, and fortified with our commitment and your patronage, the CLC’s passion continues to fuel confidence and secure successful outcomes.
“Just as the 2016-2017 student body was about to be mobilized to commence preparation for their graduation exercise, and as the 2017-18 students began their classes, Hurricane Irma visited the region leaving her unforgettable trail of destruction. Tonight these students come together in a celebration of success, determination and resilience. In time to come, stories will be shared with grands and great grands of how they had to study using lamplight and moonlight, and how there were many nights when they had to sit on the DITES steps to use the Internet for their SBA research.
“These stories would serve as memoirs of a time that required stamina and guts just to step forward. But they also demonstrate that deep within each of you resides strength of character and a beacon of hope that not even Irma could have put out.
“But students, in the midst of the turbulence, the Comprehensive Learning Centre needed a calm, yet strong, helmsman to navigate it through such unsettled waters. The Centre needed a crew that was dedicated and resilient. It is within the character of Kenvis Gumbs and the lecturers of this small, yet adaptable, institution that you found support and guidance. It is with heartfelt gratitude that I applaud Kenvis and the CLC lecturers – and I ask you, the graduating class, and the audience, to give them a round of applause. You the student body, and faculty, demonstrated that nothing could dim the light that shines from within.”
The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Mrs. Janine Edwards who was selected in her capacity as entrepreneur and Proprietor of Sunset Homes Inc. She is also the President of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association. An extract from her address reads:
“Graduates, you pursued your studies on the back of Hurricane Irma. No easy feat. For months no internet, no light, no running water, for some – no job! If the Category 5 storm winds of Irma could not out your light – could not quell your hunger for self development – who can stop you now? Graduates, we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely do we admit the changes and challenges it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
“Let us reflect. The tireless months of sacrifice, tears at times, self doubt, the sleepless nights. How many of you graduating today are parents? (Hands up). Many times I know while you tried to focus on your algebra, on that difficult essay, your mind was on – what is John eating for supper tonight. Mary has a test tomorrow and needs my help to review. It is not an easy feat. It is not an easy road – I know. Yet your inner light burned steadily within and pulled you through to this juncture.
“Ladies and gentlemen, young people – many of you here tonight have grasped a second chance and have clasped the joy of success. Many of you had been discouraged and daunted, thinking certain academic programs were not for you – but you found the TLC at CLC. Some of you have carried the burdens of labels, and self doubt, regarding your performance in school. But yet you were willing to go to the edge of your comfort zone and take that leap. That leap which brought you a step closer to being a more fulfilled you. Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
The Anguillian wishes to applaud the graduating students of the Comprehensive Learning Centre for the success they have achieved, as well as Mrs. York-Gumbs and the faculty for the services in education that they render to our community.
