The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) continues its year of firsts with the Honours Convocation held especially for nine students in Cayman Brac late last month.

UCCI Cayman Brac Campus Director Martin Keeley said it was very exciting to have the event on the island for the first time. “I think it helps Brackers understand the value of having the Brac Campus. It also brought the community together and was a great way to reward our hardworking students who achieved GPAs of 3.5 and above.”

Echoing the sentiments of many attendees, the speech written by UCCI alumnus and Immigration Officer Adam Clyne stated that for many years, tertiary education in Cayman Brac was “such a fragile idea that people merely whispered about.”

He said having UCCI as well as the Civil Service College was amazing as both enable Brackers to achieve things that they thought were impossible until a few years ago. “We live on a 12-mile long island in the middle of nowhere, and we can pursue higher education. This achievement would not have been possible if not for the hard work of educators that wanted better for Cayman Brac and the people who wanted the chance to further their studies but didn’t have the convenience of uprooting their lives and moving over to Grand Cayman.”

The convocation was made even more meaningful by the fact that the Brac students, despite not having the same facilities and level of access to educators that Grand Cayman students have, also set a new record this semester, according to Mr. Keeley. “This is, in fact, the largest number of students we’ve had on the honour roll. Two of them are graduates: Raquel Matute obtained a 4.0, the highest GPA for the Civil Service College and Janet Eldridge was awarded the second highest GPA overall for the Associate Degrees,” he said.

UCCI President J.A. Roy Bodden, JP, beamed with pride as he congratulated the honourees, saying, “Being able to hold an Honours Convocation at the Cayman Brac Campus of UCCI, in my opinion, does two things. In the first instance, it speaks to the growing importance of Brac students to a developing UCCI. Secondly, it demonstrates the appreciation and respect the main campus holds for the Brac community.

As President, I am delighted to witness this success and look forward to the continued growth and maturing of the UCCI Brac students.”

The Honours Convocation recognises students who have earned at least nine credits in the preceding term and have achieved a semester GPA of 3.75 or higher (President’s List) or 3.5-3.74 (Dean’s List). Special awards are also given to graduates who have achieved the highest cumulative GPA in their respective programmes.

Held at the Governor’s Conference Centre of the Cayman Brac Beach Resort, the Cayman Brac Honours Convocation attracted 50 attendees including District Commissioner Ernie Scott, Assistant District Commissioner Mark Tibbetts, and Senior School Improvement Officer Tammy Banks-Dacosta. Board Member and UCCI alumna Shena Ebanks, Acting Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Livingston Smith and Registrar Allison Anglin were also part of the celebration.

IMAGE:

UCCI Cayman Brac students share a light moment with UCCI representatives at the Honours Convocation on November 25, 2017. L-R: Cayman Brac Campus Director Martin Keeley, Registrar Allison Anglin, Acting Dean of Academic Affairs Livingston Smith, Raquel Matute, Nina Bodden, Laurel McLaughlin, Janet Eldridge, Shavon Bodden, Board Member Shena Ebanks, Roberta Edwards, Jean Scott-Mais, Faith Bodden and President J.A. Roy Bodden, JP.