The Royal Anguilla Police Force and the Education Department, on Thursday 9th June, 2016, graduated over 200 Second Form students of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, Campus B at the 10th Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) Graduation Ceremony held at the school.
The ceremony which was chaired by Teacher and Pastor, Mr. Gleason Brooks, saw in attendance Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison; Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Rhonda Connor, as well as other officials from the Ministry of Education and parents of the graduating class.
The Commissioner of Police who was the keynote speaker, said, “Our job [as parents] is to create space for them to develop and become young men and young women for themselves and choose lives that they want to pursue”.
Commissioner Morrison continued, “I think that for young people, life can seem very fast. Speed and achieving things quickly seems to be a mantra that we think is successful. However, when you’re young you need to enjoy being young. You need to take time to smell the roses and look around you because you’re not young forever. If you are to enjoy your life, you need to make good decisions so that you avoid those things that can bring you into harm or stop you from reaching your full potential”. He further shared his experience dealing with young men, in particular on Anguilla. He said: “Since I’ve been on island I have come into contact with a number of young men who have gone off the path of good, and gone into serious crimes, robberies, murders etc. These are not always bad young men. I look into their eyes and they’re not cold. Some of them are very cold, but others are young men who probably made bad choices at a point in their lives and don’t know how to get out of it. I make a habit of trying to speak to as many as I can to try and understand how these things can happen. I do not want to see young men and women in the police station”. He concluded by applauding the efforts of the D.A.R.E Programme and described it as “fundamental building blocks of a successful life”.
During the ceremony several students were recognized for their outstanding work. Top students recognized for their D.A.R.E Arguments were Tyrese Laborde, Jeiarah Connor, Jayvan Lloyd, Mia Christmas, Riana Richardson, Derecia Griffin, Amalia Fleming and Lakaisha Lake.
Top students awarded for their D.A.R.E T-shirt Design were Daneice Hodge, Kiara Mills-Rey, Lalea Richardson, Sedu Bradshaw, Danell Connor, Keja Carty, Selena Gowkarran and Lakaisha Lake.
The audience was entertained by a fitting presentation by 10 students of the graduating class.
Principal Mrs. Melsadis Fleming thanked the Royal Anguilla Police Force (RAPF) and the D.A.R.E Officers for their continued partnership with the school thus aiding in the positive development of Anguilla’s young people. She further stated, “We would like to believe that all students would have learnt how to resist and say no to drug usage. Parents and guardians we are calling upon you to reinforce the concepts and information shared”.
The 10 week programme is one that sensitizes students on the dangers of drug use and abuse as well as how to avoid violence and to take charge of their lives by making choices that are responsible, respectful and realistic. The programme was first introduced at the school in 2008 when the RAPF partnered with the Ministry of Education.
