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U.B graduates 84 from its Toledo Campus

By on June 14, 2018

2018 Graduation, University of Belize (Toledo Campus)

Punta Gorda, TOLEDO. Thursday, June 14, 2018. The 2018 Commencement Exercise for the Toledo Campus of the University of Belize took place today in Punta Gorda town.

84 men and women received certificates, Associate Degrees and Bachelor Degrees conferred by President Professor Emeritus Clement Sankat, who presided over the graduation exercise.

Guest speaker for the graduation was Mayor of Punta Gorda town Ashton Mckenzie.

Here is the full text of his Commencement Exercise:

Graduation 2018, University of Belize (Toledo Campus)

A most warm and pleasant good afternoon Master of Ceremonies, President U.B Student government Ms Tanigi Palacio, Campus Administrator Mr Roy Polonio, President of the University of Belize Professor Clement Sankat, Deans of the various faculties, staff, support staff, distinguished guest from near and far, parents, friends and last but definitely least graduands.

It is indeed an honor and a distinct pleasure to have be given the opportunity to serve in the capacity of your guest speaker at this years commencement exercise.

I find it very special because I am a product of the University of Belize. U.B Toledo to be more specific. A distinct reminder I hold in my head daily.

I can still remember lecturers like Ms Gillian, Mr Mathias, Mr John Nunez, Mr Anthony Brown, Ms Doreen and Mr Roy Polonio and my advisor at the time Mr Glen Enriquez and how they helped to unlock the potential that existed in me.

I must also pay tribute to my high school lecturers like Mr Dave Foreman, Ms Glendora Guy, Mr Diego Bol who have also contributed substantially to my education and my outlook on life.

It was not an easy task to come up with today’s message to share here at graduation knowing the tremendous potential that is seated here waiting to be unlocked. So I decided as always to simply speak from the heart, to speak from experience so that today’s message can be as brief and as relevant as possible.

Commencement Exercise, University of Belize (Toledo campus)

Ladies and gentlemen the only way you know whether you will fail or whether succeed is if you try. And even you if you fail, the idea is not to quit but to continue until you succeed.

Some of the most successful, and some of the most powerful people in the world have experienced failure somewhere along their path.

Failure gives room for creativity, it gives room for bigger, better and even brighter ideas.

Now I am not encouraging you to fail in your future endeavors but I am challenging you to not be afraid of failure. Many of times we miss out on opportunity because we worry too much about the obstacles than the rewards.

As you prepare to leave this room today as graduates it is very important to understand that you are not defined by the degree you’ve earned but by the impact you will make.

Whether you live 30 years or a 100 years the impact you have on those around you is very important.

When go about your business daily it is very important to have an impact on as much people and in many places as you possibly can.

Graduation exercise, U.B. Toledo campus

Many of us in society prefer to ride a wave than make one. We prefer to apply for a job than create one.

Here in Toledo we are the Southernmost district, the district with an abundance of human, marine and terrestrial resources.

We are a melting pot when it comes to resources but yet we continue to fail in translating all this into a robust economy, jobs, businesses and being self sufficient.

Today sitting here we have graduates from various faculties ready to enter into the field of work but will rely on an opportunity or a link to present itself.

We will never have all the resources we need but in order to for us to ensure progress we must learn to use what have as our advantage.

If you look at some of the most successful businesses in the world, they are not owned by one person.

While you might have a majority owner, you still have shareholders.

I want to make a specific appeal to our business graduates to start bringing those business plans to life.

Collaborate because there is always strength in unity. Develop your shareholding systems. That way you can all share in each others success.

U.B Toledo campus graduation, 2018

Ladies and gentlemen you are blueprint to an even greater Toledo and by extension a greater Belize. I am very pleased to see that under professor Sankat and the U.B board we continue to see an ever growing university.

We continue to see a diversification in curriculums and programs being offered. I am happy to see that we are giving more options in programs such as tourism and agriculture which is which can be the driving force in creating the Toledo we dream of.

Everybody expects to eat but nobody wants to plant. What you reap is what you sow.

There is a real need for us to grow the productive sector in Belize and the South should lead the charge in being the bread basket of our country and the hallmark for productivity.

But in order to achieve this we must stop the stigma that exist against agriculture and apply our creative juices.

For those of you who will be haven’t entered U.B think of doing something outside the box like agriculture.

Education is an investment that should bring great returns, but how can you expect returns if you enter into an area that is flooded.

We have had many cohorts of business graduates from U.B thus far and we are yet to see a boom in the amount of local businesses. Presently we are unable to fill demand that exist for cacao, for coconut and for many other products.

U.B. graduation 2018 (Toledo Campus)
[Photo: Tim Dami]

Whatever happened to creating our own opportunities? What happened to business plans and proposals? What happen to micro and medium enterprises?

Some of us might say the chinese are taking over but what are we doing to support our local businesses, what happened to our local business working in partnership to assist and network with each other?

The next point I want to elaborate on is humility. Humility is a very important gift. It doesn’t mean that you are going to allow people to trample over you, but rather you will be mindful in how you go about coordinating your business.

It’s not what you do, but how you do it. Too many times we allow things like education and personal wealth to class ourselves differently.

And I will share what I heard a gentleman said

Whether you have a flip phone or an iphone X- The Call Remains the same.

Whether your seated near toilet on the plane or your flying first class your destination does change.

Whether you wear a rolex or casio watch the time doesn’t change.

So as you venture in your various endeavors always remember to be humble.

Last but not least I want to encourage to not be complacent. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Be the best that you can be.

If you are finishing your associates pursue your bachelors. If you are completing your bachelors pursue your Masters.

The university has now launched its Masters program. Go for it. The sky is the limit.

We live in an ever competitive world so lets not settle for nothing but the best.

With that being said thank you very and congratulations on your accomplishment.

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