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In his valedictorian speech, Sharief attributed his success not only to his family members, but to his classmates and the lecturer whose undying faith in him kept him going.
Becoming the valedictorian, he said, was something he did not foresee, but had been predicted time and again.
Sharief recalled his high school graduation, when the one thought on his mind was how he would fare at university.
Noting that it was a new journey in his life, he said he’d often tried to imagine what the future held.
“On this occasion, I said my journey has just begun. I imagined what life ahead would be… It was a world of adventure, beauty and belligerence; challenges, conflicts and contradictions; discouragements and disappointments,” the aspiring technologist said.
The Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Graduating Student in the School of Medicine was given to Kumarie Kooseram, while the Chancellors’ Medal for the Second Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Natural Sciences went to Avinaash Antonio Persaud.
In his feature address, President Donald Ramotar not only commended the graduands, but university officials as well for their invaluable input which helped students realize their dream.
He also reassured his audience that the government stands ready and committed to the development of the University of Guyana, since he is convinced its graduates have the capacity and desire to significantly contribute to Guyana‘s economic growth.
He further expressed a willingness to work with all stakeholders to accelerate the university’s growth into a world-class educational institution, and said challenges exist but solutions can be sought to address them so as not to hinder development. One such challenge, he said, is resourcing the University, which is critically important.
He also spoke of the need to have various stakeholders invest in the university to further place it in the right direction.
