Form Two students, at Campus B of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School who will be entering Third Form at Campus A in September, have been told to reach for higher standards.

Mr. Quincy Gumbs

The admonition was given by Quincy Gumbs, (a parent), who addressed the students on the eve of the closure of the campus for the summer vacation.

“I urge you to rise to the challenge and grab hold of the opportunities afforded by your education system. Reach for excellence,” Mr. Gumbs said to them. “You must make a careful choice of subjects as the vehicle that will take you to your goal. You must then determine the kind of grades you need to maintain in order to impress others to help you achieve your desired goal.”

He advised them that in order to succeed they needed to work harder, study more and employ greater self-confidence. Mr. Gumbs continued:
“Your path through school is no different from that of those of us who preceded you. All of us had our day with negative influences and you will have yours. I urge you to chose the high ground to success…Be confident about yourself and your core values: self-respect and respect for others regardless of their gender, race, creed or socio-economic background…

The Campus B graduates

“Campus A is a breeding ground for the future leadership of Anguilla, not a battle-ground for rival gangs. It is a place where you will perfect your use of the English Language, not a place to practice the base sub-culture of the ignorant and the unlearned. Campus A is a place where you begin to explore the medicinal properties of plants for the benefit of humanity, not to fry your brains by the use and abuse of illegal drugs. Campus A is a place where you learn the responsibility of adulthood, parenting and family relationships, not a place to blight your future with unwanted pregnancies or the death sentence of unsafe sex.”

Mr. Gumbs exhorted the students to work until their dreams come true and to be determined to make Campus A better place. “Keep trying your best at all times even if you fail. Think positive, aim high and never lose sight of your goals. Remember you are reaching for higher standards and your best is yet to come,” he added.

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