West St. George Secondary School hosts second graduation

Fourty-four graduates of the West St. George Secondary School were encouraged to persevere despite the many struggles that they will face in their life as success cannot be achieved without challenges.{{more}}

This message came from guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, Bishop Sonny Williams, Pastor of the Glad Tidings Tabernacle. The school’s second annual graduation ceremony took place at the Hope for Life Ministries at Arnos Vale on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.

In his address, Williams examined the life of Joseph in the Bible which demonstrates the rewards of perseverance. “His life is saying to you: persevere, never give up on your dreams!” Williams stressed.

Williams advised the students that they should be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead in their lives. “If you are going to follow your dreams, you will encounter difficulties along the way,” Williams cautioned. He, however, urged the students to push ahead despite the difficulties and learn from them along the way as they make you stronger.

Noting that the students may not have started secondary school as the best students, he told them that the race is not for the swift, but for those who endure till the end. “It doesn’t matter how you start; it matters how you finish.”

Also giving brief remarks, parliamentary representative for the area, Mike Browne, also encouraged the students to embrace the struggles of life. He also advised the students to stay away from a life of crime.

Senior Education Officer, Carlton Hall, saluted the leadership of the school, who he said is responsible for the success of the school. He further urged the school to not compete with other schools but to compete with themselves to improve on the 59.33% passes in CSEC exams from the previous year. He encouraged the graduates to embody discipline, distincition and diligence as they go through life.

Giving the principal’s address, Asfo Stephens congratulated the students on their achievements. Stephens also stated that the school has seen improvements in literacy levels. He, however, stated that there is need for improvement in the numeracy area. Stephens also stated that the school will be doing Integrated Science and Agricultural Science at the CSEC level in 2011.

Stephens also listed the many achievements of the school such as the school band, participation in the public speaking competition and winning the 2010 Most Outstanding Young Leaders individual award.

The ceremony also saw performances from the graduates, and awards were given to graduates who excelled in subject areas.

Edson Davis and Vacilla Woods received the award for perseverance for male and female, respectively, while Elroy Foster received the awards for Most Disciplined Student, Most Improved Student and the Principal’s Award.