The family of Kennida Lenore Vanterpool proudly salutes and congratulates her on her exceptional achievement.
On May 12th, 2018, in the presence of her Anguillian and Miami families, Kennida Vanterpool walked across the Florida Memorial University (FMU) stage to receive her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Accounting with a minor in Music. Her dedication, self-empowerment and confidence were major factors in her graduating Summa Cum Laude with a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
Unknown to her, Kennida was awarded the title Valedictorian Class of 2018, having had the highest GPA of all students. This brought great joy to her Anguillian family as they stood tall amongst the large crowd cheering her on, boldly hoeisting Anguilla’s flag for all to see.
Kennida acknowledges she could not have done it without the prayers, support and input from her family and friends, including her parents, William Vanterpool and Debbie Gumbs (whom she said were instrumental in her realizing her dream from the onset), her Miami Dade College and FMU professors, former teachers at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School and her Christian family at Central Baptist Church.
Kennida’s words are a source of encouragement when she said “I definitely was not expecting to receive such an honor today; sometimes you pray and ask God to sprinkle blessings in your life, all without knowing he had already planned a downpour of success coming your way. Seeing my parents’ eyes fill with tears of joy was a humbling experience and knowing I’m able to make my parents and island proud is a blessing in itself that words cannot explain. I will forever be grateful to the little 7 year old girl who touched my hand on my way back to my seat to tell me congratulations and she wants to be like me when she grows up; it is then when it struck me that my endeavor for excellence had been fulfilled.”
Kennida’s success is a reminder to all not only to focus on the end result but to enjoy the journey so that the end will be more rewarding. Along her path to success she has been inducted into the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business, she served as a member of the Pop Ensemble at FMU, where they performed several gigs outside the University. In addition, she worked at the Miami Dade and FMU testing centers.
Kennida joins with her cousins pledging to complete their set goals in honor of their late beloved cousin, Calan Vanterpool.
To God be the glory great things he has done and will continue to do.
-Contributed
