– Dr. Kibwey Peterkin is first Health Sciences student to graduate as Valedictorian
– raised in single-parent family and persisted despite many challenges

THIRTEEN years ago he was skipping school to play marbles with friends in the countryside.
But on Saturday, Dr. Kibwey Peterkin, 23, made history at the University of Guyana (UG)

where he became the first Health Sciences student to graduate as valedictorian, after having read for his Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.
The success story of this “country boy” as he so often refers to himself is one which is deeply humbling and highly motivating.

For most of his life, Dr. Peterkin grew up in a single-parent home in the relatively unknown village of Bachelor’s Adventure on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). He would later move to Non-Pareil, ECD, where he currently resides with his mother – a Registry Clerk at the CARICOM Secretariat – and two younger siblings.
“I didn’t come from a family that was financially stable. We [my siblings and I] weren’t born with gold spoons in our mouths. For most of my life I lived with my single-parent mother. But the importance of education was instilled in us from an early age.”
He attended Paradise Primary School where, despite being distracted in school, he managed to obtain enough marks at the then Common Entrance examinations to attend Queens’ College (QC) – the country’s highest ranked secondary school.

“I wouldn’t say I was 100% into books. I always found myself being distracted in school when I was younger. At that time I didn’t see myself achieving this. I remember the week before Common Entrance [exams] I skipped classes to play marbles with friends, because these were the games we enjoyed in the countryside,” he says with a light chuckle.
Once at QC, young Peterkin underwent a transition, having to adapt to an urban environment which he knew very little of. But his stay at this prestigious institution featured numerous success stories of him excelling academically and in extra-curricular activities.

Uncertain of what to expect, he then made his entry into the University of Guyana in 2011, where he registered to pursue his Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.
“I was like a fish out of water when I started UG. I didn’t know what to expect, because I kept hearing that it was very different from school,” he says.
Determined to make excellence his mantra, the young man registered for this programme although he was told on numerous occasions that medicine was the “hardest programme” one could possibly pursue at UG.

He recalls having a few hiccups during his first semester ,due to the fact that the learning environment was new to him.
“It was a progressive journey for me. There were challenges and I accepted the fact that there would be challenges along the way. But I used them to help build my life. I reminded myself constantly that I need to overcome these challenges to excel and be a better individual,” he said.
Similarly, in his domestic life, Dr. Peterkin had another factor motivating him: His family. He said that this was the nucleus on which his life was centred and his successes are credited to them and God.

“I didn’t come from a family that was financially stable. We [my siblings and I] weren’t born with gold spoons in our mouths. For most of my life I lived with my single-parent mother. But the importance of education was instilled in us from an early age.” – Dr Kibwey Peterkin

“My mother has been the fuel which drives me. Most of my achievements are not as significant to me as it is to them [my family], and while I am proud of what I have been able to achieve, the joy it brings to them is what continues to give me that drive.”
But his life was never framed within a purely academic and domestic context.

His spiritual life, he says, has played an integral role in helping to shape his life. In fact, during the first four years of his time at UG, he was actively involved in his church mentorship programme which seeks to empower underprivileged and /or disadvantaged youths. In addition, he was and still is an event coordinator at his church – the Bachelor’s Adventure Seventh Day Adventists church. He also represented the Faculty of Health Sciences in its annual football and cricket competitions.

Having completed five demanding years at UG, Dr. Peterkin graduated with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.9; missing a perfect GPA by 0.1. For the five years, he received straight As except for one B in a course.
Dr. Peterkin will commence one year of clinical internship, after which he is likely to take a clinical or non-clinical route in his career. He said that he has not made a definitive decision as yet, but will await the Almighty’s guidance in making his next step.
“The possibilities for me are endless. And there are several things I am considering. But whatever the almighty has in store for me, I shall be guided by him.”

And Dr. Peterkin has a message for all current and prospective students.
“To paraphrase what Aristotle once said, ‘You are what you repeatedly do.’ I want to remind every student that if you want to make a difference, in whatever way, you have to be persistent. You cannot limit your potential. You have to set goals and targets and be able to constantly remind yourself why you need to achieve it.
“You have to be willing to walk through doors of opportunity which are open. You cannot allow your bad or challenging experiences in life to bring you down. You have to be able to use them to your advantage; build on your strengths and learn from your mistakes.
“You are going to face challenges in life in whatever you do, and nothing good will be handed to you. So you have to be mentally prepared to accept that and constantly remind yourself what is it you want to achieve.”