Mandella Campbell is top student at Community College

Mandella Campbell could barely hold back the choking tears that accompanied the sadness she was experiencing as she contemplated the end of her sojourn at the Community College, while delivering her Student of the Year address at the Graduation ceremony.

This is the only time that the word failure could be used in the same sentence as the overwhelming success story that is Mandella Campbell, the 2006 Community College’s Student of the Year.{{more}} The graduation and prize giving ceremony was held on Thursday June 29, at the St George’s Cathedral in Kingstown. Three hundred and ninety-two students graduated and were presented to Sir Frederick and Sally- Ann, Lady Ballantyne from the three faculties, namely: Natural sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Comparing her class’s journey to traveling on a badly-paved road with many potholes, the daughter of former Attorney General Parnel, and Pastor Juliet Campbell told all gathered that though some had dropped out of the race, she and her fellow graduates have kept the dream alive. “Although in times of trials, we may have felt like letting go, giving up, and giving in, we didn’t. We persevered with God’s help and He kept us through the storms.”

In addition to Student of the Year, Mandella copped the Academic Excellence Awards for Law, French, Spanish and History. Other notable awardees were Kamal Woods who bagged four awards including Physics and Mathematics. Denece Pompey and Kervern James were also multiple awards winners.

Other students were awarded for their excellence in extra-curricular activities including national footballer Richard Hayde who was also adjudged the Sports Personality of the Year.

As part of the graduating programme, the audience was blown to pieces by what this reporter considers the best special singing by a student in a graduation exercise. Andrea Gaymes sang “You raised me up” and must have brought moments of anxiety to those present because her singing had the potential to raise the dead, and when one considers the church’s close proximity to a cemetery, well you see the point!