Good morning.
I cannot begin to tell you what a pleasure it is to be here with you today. As President, I attend many events and ceremonies, but few are as special or as heartwarming as a graduation, especially a primary school graduation. Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to students at the Manzanilla/Nariva Government Primary School, and let me tell you, standing here now, I feel exactly the same as I did then – and that is full of joy and bursting with pride. Looking out at all of you, with your bright eyes and big smiles, I feel an overwhelming sense of hope, not just for your future, but for the future of our country.
Let me begin by saying congratulations to each and every one of you. You have worked hard—really hard—to get to this point and you deserve every bit of praise and celebration. You have studied and completed your SEA exams, and you have successfully navigated the ups and downs of primary school. And as proud as I am of all of you, I know that the pride I feel pales in comparison to what your parents and teachers must be feeling today. They have guided, supported and believed in you every step of the way. They have been your biggest cheerleaders and supporters, and so today is a celebration for them also.
Graduation Day is a truly special and meaningful occasion. It is a day that allows you to look back, and reflect on all of the hard work, growth and achievements you have experienced throughout your years at Belmont Girls’ RC. It is also a day to look ahead, to the exciting new chapter that awaits you. All of this is beautifully captured by the theme for your Graduation, “Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow.” What a fantastic theme, and what a wonderful way of looking at your own journey.
A significant part of your journey in life up to now, has been your experience at Primary School. Another big step in your journey is attending Secondary School. It is a big step – you are leaving this school that has become so familiar to you and you are moving to a different environment – with new teachers, new classmates, and new activities. This step, like all big changes that happen in your lives, may cause you to be a little anxious or a little sad, even though it is an exciting time for you. I want you to know that all of those feelings are actually quite normal. My advice to you is to talk to your parents, or any family member whom you trust, or to your teachers, about that anxiety or sadness. You will find it surprising that when you talk about your feelings, the adults to whom you are speaking will tell you that they, too, experience those feelings when they are going through changes in their adult lives.
Your friends will also tell you that they are also experiencing the emotions that you are feeling. I’m sure that you remember how you felt when you first started at this school. I’m sure that you were nervous and a little scared at first – but after a while, you became accustomed to the routines of this school and you started making new friends.
So, to think about the first part of the theme for today’s Graduation – “Learn from Yesterday” – the first thing that you have learnt from yesterday is that change may cause you anxiety at the beginning, but that once you adjust, all of that anxiety goes away and you settle down and enjoy your new environment and activities.
The second part of the theme for today’s Graduation is “Live For Today”. You have been at this school for five (5) years. At this school you have made friends, learnt so many different things, had fun and engaged in sports and extra-curricular activities. You have all made the most of the opportunities presented to you. But this school and its teachers have done much more than just teach you things – like Language Arts and Creative Writing. This school and its teachers have spent a lot of time ensuring that you have learnt about values in life – such as respect, honesty and kindness, to name a few.
You all show respect for your teachers, and hopefully, as you move on to Secondary School, you will continue to do that and to show respect for your fellow students. In this world, if we show respect for one another, we will avoid situations where there are confrontations that can lead to physical fights. There will be a more peaceful environment. When we are honest with our parents, teachers and friends – when we make a decision to be truthful at all times, we again avoid getting into trouble with persons and we avoid getting into situations that can affect or even destroy our lives.
And finally – kindness. When we are kind to our friends – and sometimes to persons who are not our friends – we can change their lives for the better. To share your lunch with someone who doesn’t have a meal, is to show kindness. And this world needs so many more people to show kindness – just like Jesus did. Jesus demonstrated kindness throughout his life by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, welcoming children, and forgiving those who crucified him. He showed kindness by serving others, washing his disciples’ feet, and showing compassion to persons who were poor and unable to take proper care of themselves. So, what I am saying is that one of the best ways to show kindness is to model our lives on Jesus’ life and to look at how He showed kindness to people, and to try to do the same ourselves.
So, in “Living For Today” I ask you to remember the values that have been instilled in you over the last five (5) years and to continue to show respect, be honest and choose to be kind. In doing so, you will make an impact and a difference in someone’s life, and you will help make this world a better place.
And, if we have young people like you grow into adults who are respectful, honest, and kind, we immediately realize that there is great hope for the future – which brings us to the last part of the theme for today’s Graduation – “Hope for Tomorrow”. When I look at you today, that is what I see – hope for tomorrow; hope for Trinidad and Tobago; and hope for the world.
And so those are the things I wanted us to chat about today. I hope you carry the lessons we talked about with you as you begin this exciting new chapter in Secondary School. And I hope you continue to “Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow.”
I want to take the time to thank those people who have been with you throughout all the changes in your life. Parents, guardians and other family members – thank you for your love, guidance and support. Teachers, and other staff members – thank you for making this day possible and for your nurturing and guiding these children to achieve their fullest potential.
Finally, my dear Graduating Class of 2025, I want to remind you of how proud we all are of you. You studied and prepared for your exams, and now that they have gone, you have every right to celebrate, relax and of course, live in this special moment.
I look forward to seeing the great things each one of you will do in your secondary school years and even beyond. Our world need people just like you who are bright, brave and hopeful, not afraid of change, but instead, ready to shape it.
Congratulations once again and all my very best wishes to you.
Thank you.
