Snagg advises graduates not to give up

“Your ability to persist, to push forward, to grab hold and not let go until you are at the end of the road is the formula for success in life,” Rosita Snagg, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Reconciliation, Labour etc told the 14 graduates of the Kingstown Youth Guidance programme earlier this week.{{more}}

The lofty objectives of the programme are to assist adolescents to develop their potential for enriching the quality of individual, family and community life, and to assist them in adjusting to the growth and development changes they experience in making the transition from childhood to adulthood and to help them to cope effectively with the stressful situations associated with growing up.

It was with these in mind that Snagg, in her address on Monday, March 5, appealed to the young people on the basis of their individual uniqueness and the power of the individual to determine the outcome in their circumstances. She called on them to focus on their self-determination and self-esteem. Speaking from her own experience with young people, she said: “Many of the young people I have met seem to lack that “believe in self”. There is a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem,” resulting, she observed, in self-doubt taking priority.

The Programme dealt with topics such as Self Esteem, Peer Pressure, Growth & Development, Relationships, Drug Abuse, Conflict Resolution and HIV/AIDS, to name a few.

One of the noted achievements during the course was the role played by a former Youth Guidance Programme student and now president of the Kingstown HELTA Club, Jamel Providence, who was able to single handedly conduct meaningful sessions with those graduating, including one on Conflict Resolution during the absence of the coordinator Angelene Andrews owing to illness. The HELTA club is a youth club also run by the Health Promotion Unit within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment.

The validictorian of the program was Justene Farrell. An address was also given by Chief Health Educator Patsy Wyllie. She encouraged students to work hard to achieve their fullest potential and to be open with everyone and to make a difference in doing so. An overview of the programme was given by Angelene Andrews, while the presence of the Headmistress of the Girl’s High School, Andrea Bowman, was much appreciated.

“You are a unique individual created by God for a special purpose,” Snagg told the graduates. “There is no one else like you. So, today, take charge, for there is value in you. You are priced beyond human reach. Don’t give up, for if you can imagine it, you can achieve it, and if you can dream it, you can become it.”

The Kingstown Youth Guidance Programme has been conducted by the Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health etc since its establishment in 1986. It involves students from Secondary Schools in Kingstown, namely the Girls’ High School, the St. Vincent Grammar School and the Thomas Saunders Secondary School.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Ministry of Health Conference room.