Family, friends and supporters of Elmore Stoutt High School graduates packed the Multi-purpose Sports Complex last Thursday afternoon to celebrate 160 students crossing the stage to receive their diplomas.

The crowd filled the seats on both levels of the venue, and attendees who could not find a seat stood to watch the nearly three-hour ceremony.

The ESHS ceremony was the largest of the seven high school graduations over the past eight days.

“Class of 2025, we’ve grown in ways we didn’t expect,” ESHS valedictorian Amani Brown said in his speech. “We learned not just facts and figures but who we are as people.”

ESHS alumna Andrea Spencer delivered the keynote address, and salutatorian Jordan Hinds also gave remarks.

Feeling proud

After the ceremony, Mr. Hinds said he felt proud.

“It brings me a great joy just to see everybody being able to graduate and know that I can be some sort of representative of what it’s like — and to be male in this day and age and be on that stage,” Mr. Hinds told the Beacon after the ceremony.

“Yeah, man, it makes me feel really good.”

The ESHS Class of 2025 included 86 men and 74 women.

More than 60 percent graduated with honours by earning a grade point average of at least 76 percent, and six students graduated with high honours with a GPA of at least 91 percent, educators said.

Mortarboard messages

After hugging and taking pictures with family, friends and teachers, ESHS graduates shared their excitement for the future.

“I feel overjoyed, ready to accomplish new things, move on into life, and be successful,” Sielle Cockburn Colaire told the Beacon after the ceremony.

Ms. Cockburn Colaire said she plans to study nursing.

‘I just love soca’

Jonathan Hutchinson said he looks forward to pursuing soca music more seriously and going to college.

“I just love soca on a whole, so like my dream is actually to bring the culture back, especially in the Virgin Islands, you know what I’m saying? Like the little jam culture,” he said.

Mr. Hinds, the salutatorian, said he plans to continue his studies at a university in the United States.

“I want to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “So I might start in business and expand into other fields, because I see myself owning multiple businesses.”

Other graduations

Three other high schools also celebrated their graduates last Thursday: Cedar International and St. George’s Secondary on Tortola and the Ciboney Centre for Excellence on Virgin Gorda.

At Cedar International, 13 women and three men crossed the stage at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.

Jade Farinha earned the Cedar Award — the top honour bestowed by a vote of the school’s faculty.

School Director Scott Crawford gave the opening remarks, noting that the class of 2025 collectively received offers from more than 30 universities from six countries.

Mr. Crawford also pointed out the 17th chair on the stage, which sat empty in honour of K’Shonda Hinds.

“K’Shonda was a remarkable young lady who joined this class in 2018 and 2019 while she was undergoing treatment for cancer that would ultimately prove terminal,” Mr. Crawford said. “Though her time at Cedar was brief, the courage and positivity she displayed at such a young age in the face of such daunting adversity has had a lasting impact on our school community and especially on this class.”

Junior Tourism Minister Luce Hodge-Smith delivered the commencement speech.

St. George’s Secondary

Back in Road Town, 25 students graduated from St. George’s Secondary School in a ceremony at St. George’s Episcopal Church that lasted about two hours.

Valedictorian Yaasmeen Said delivered a speech during the ceremony and salutatorian Trinity Lettsome introduced commencement speaker Olivia Freeman.

The same afternoon on Virgin Gorda, five men graduated from Ciboney Centre for Excellence. The ceremony, which lasted approximately an hour, took place at the Catholic Community Centre.

Bregado Flax on VG

Earlier in the week on Virgin Gorda, 37 Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary Division graduates crossed the stage at the Jeffery Caines Arena.

Twenty-six were honours students and 17 were dual enrolled at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. Shania Kanhai was the valedictorian, Jasmin Brito Heredia the salutatorian.

‘Try again tomorrow’

“We learned that strength does not always roar: Sometimes it simply whispers, ‘Try again tomorrow,’” Ms. Kanhai said during her valedictory address. “That kind of quiet resilience will carry us far beyond these walls.”

The June 25 ceremony lasted about two hours.

Technical school

On Friday, family and friends celebrated the graduates of the VI School of Technical Studies.

Among the 24 VISTS graduates was valedictorian Aaliya Davis, who gave a speech at the ceremony. Salutatorian Donya Davis introduced keynote speaker Colin Gunthrope, who is a pastor, corporate trainer and life coach.

Twelve of the graduates were honours students, earning a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and 13 were dual enrolled at HLSCC. Both the valedictorian and salutatorian earned high honours, each graduating with a GPA of 3.7.

The ceremony, which was held at the New Testament Church of God International Worship Centre, lasted about two hours.

Seventh-day Adventists

The graduation season came to a close on Sunday afternoon, when 26 students graduated from the Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School.

In a class that was evenly split by gender, Jene Barnwell was the valedictorian, Nickalah Tyson the salutatorian. Eight students earned honours, and four earned high honours.

The commencement address was delivered by Phillip Fahie, an HLSCC adjunct lecturer, software developer and entrepreneur.

“The result of solving a problem in life is a greater problem,” he advised, adding, “Don’t ever look forward to this time in your existence when you won’t have problems. It is about the journey.”

The ceremony was held at the school’s auditorium in Sea Cows Bay.

Read More

British Caribbean News

Virgin Islands News - News.VI