The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College observed the 32nd graduation exercise on Sunday, Dec. 2.

Approximately 650 students were eligible to receive certificates, diplomas and degrees for the successful completion of their programmes of study. The ceremony took place at the campus grounds in Morne Fortune, Castries where approximately 350 graduands attended.

Jocelyn Fletcher, chairperson of the Board of Governors of SALCC, said: “to you the graduands, remember that no one can define your destiny or validate who you are or who you become but you, regardless of all the negatives around you, look to be part of what is positive. No one can stop you from realizing your dreams but you.”

Guest Speaker, Johanon Dujon, an alumnus of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), and the CEO of Algas Organics, explained that the idea developed during his tenure as a Physical Education Teacher at the Millet Primary School. Algas Organics is the Caribbean’s first indigenous agriculture biotechnology company.

“I remember spending every break and lunch time in the computer lab, writing down business ideas in what I would call my dream book. So many ideas were born in that computer lab, and ultimately they lead to where I am today. On your journey I would urge you to do the same. Don’t let the comfort of a salary keep you chained to doing something you are not passionate about, you only have one life and you ought to spend it doing something you love.”

Dujon explained that although education is important, his success is due to dedication, a commitment to learning, curiosity, and a strong desire to solve a problem.

“The student who graduates with an A is no more talented than the student who graduates with a C. But there’s a condition: the student who graduates with a B, C, or D has the drive or determination to succeed. What happens is that the A student has showed proficiency in a classroom, but life is not a classroom.”

In attendance were the Governor General of Saint Lucia, Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac, and the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon Allen Chastanet.