Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/2013/-1/135/
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117 Student Graduate From ALHCS
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Wednesday, October 13, was graduation day for 117 Fifth Form students at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School in Anguilla. The theme of the graduation ceremony was Flying Higher, Reaching Further.
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Governor Huckle, Minsters and Officials of Government
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The keynote speaker was Permanent Secretary in the Department of Public Administration, Stanley Reid. He told the students that “in flying higher and reaching further,” there was a need to pursue excellence in their attitudes by demonstrating the same enthusiasm about the success of their fellow students that they would show for their own success.
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Heralding in the graduating students
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Mr. Reid noted that in order to achieve excellence in their attitude, they must forget past mistakes of others and allow them to move on. “We should not allow ourselves to be bogged down by our failures to such an extent that we fail to grasp an opportunity to redeem ourselves,” he stated. “If we were to do that we would never move forward because it is impossible to live one’s life without making mistakes.”
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The Graduates seated at Campus B
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He went on: “Graduating class we will know that we are flying higher and reaching further when our attitude to living is such that according to the Optimist Creed, we are too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. We must develop in ourselves a freedom from fear and from unhappiness and a nobleness that will allow us to ignore anger and trouble when we encounter them. We must let the excellence in our attitudes assist in turning the tide of violence threatening to sweep across Anguilla.”
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The Graduates seated at Campus B
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Mr. Reid took the opportunity to address the adults at the graduation ceremony whom he said should address issues of indiscipline among young people. “We must seek to excel in attitude,” he stated. “I believe that attitudinal changes on the part of authority figures can go a long way towards solving the problems of indiscipline among youths.”
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Parents and members of the public at the graduation ceremony
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The Permanent Secretary added: “Graduating class, parents, family, friends we will not be able to demonstrate positive attitudes if we do not exert ourselves. We must do so in relation to small things so that when the big things come along we will be properly prepared to deal with them.”
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Parents and members of the public at the graduation ceremony
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The Valedictory Address was delivered by Monifa Fahie who reflected largely on the high school years she shared with her fellow students. She observed that their varied experiences had helped to mold them into the young adults they are today.
“We, the class of 2004, are not afraid to say that school was a pain and stressful at times especially during SBA season, but when we reflect on those times we look at them with fondness,” the graduating student said. “Some of us were sol fond of school that we decided to come back for an additional two years… We the class of 2004 …are full of pride and yet we are not arrogant. We have achieved so many things during the past 16 and 17 years of our lives.”
She continued: “We need to look no further than our peers for examples of exceptional human spirit. As a group we have faced it all. There are those among us, who when everyone said we could not walk, that we could not proceed to the next level, too far behind the rest, we did not give up. We persevered and now we are not only walking but we are flying. There are those among us, who when we were laughed at and belittled because of our uniqueness, cried but we did not stay down. We learned that ‘there aint nuttin wrong wid who I be’ and so we transcended all that negativity and derision.”
She was grateful to their parents, other family members, teachers, peers and friends for their encouragement. “Whatever we venture to do should benefit our world because we will seek and find our own niches. Our contributions to Science & Technology, the Arts & Humanities, Social Development, Industry and Philosophy will help to maintain life’s balance,” Miss Fahie added.
There were 61 business sponsors. The subject awards were shared among 36 students. Best CXC results were achieved by Monifa Fahie who received special awards from the National Bank of Anguilla and a computer from First Anguilla Trust Company. She was also best student in English and Mathematics.
Most outstanding graduate was Keturah Cains, who was presented with a computer from Webster Dyrud Mitchell. Best graduate in Accounts was Arniva Richardson.
Congratulatory remarks were delivered by Special Assistant in the Ministry of Social Development, Rhona Richardson and Deputy Principal, Worrel Brooks. The Vote of Thanks was given by Khamal Harding-Hodge.
The Coordinator and Head of Year was Teacher Valarie Hodge.