UB’s 18th Commencement Exercise; 481 graduate

The University of Belize came under scrutiny last year because its president, Doctor Cary Fraser, resigned effective the end of the academic year 2014, but then took leave. There has been no explanation so far as to Fraser’s future with the national university, but on Saturday, UB held its eighteenth commencement exercise at the Belmopan Campus under the theme “GET INVOLVED…UB is for all of us.” A total of four hundred and eighty-one graduates received Associate and Bachelor degrees as well as Certificates and Diplomas. Of note is that there were more female than male graduates. Addressing the gathering were President of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and industry, Kay Menzies, as well as the Acting President of the University of Belize, Doctor Wilma Wright.

Wilma Wright, Acting President, UB

Wilma Wright

“Today marks the beginning of a new dawn for you. For some, it means getting a job, for others, it may mean getting a raise or a promotion. But whatever is the case, everyone will have high expectations for you. I am confident that your education at UB has provided you with the stamina and confidence to succeed and move you to the next level in your life. Other UB alumni have succeeded to greater levels and so can you.”

Kay Menzies

Kay Menzies, Keynote Speaker, UB Graduation

“I realized that often in our society we don’t talk enough about success. We talk about success as achieved. Like when you go out today and tomorrow and so on, everybody will say you get your degree, cool…congratulations, you get your degree. But they are not aware of what went in to getting that degree. As the master of ceremonies said earlier, early morning bus rides, long hours, missed occasions—it’s been a really, really tough few years I am sure. But today, you have achieved academic success and the proof is in your hand. But we don’t often talk about success in those terms, do we. So I thought about it and I said well you are beginning another chapter in your lives and you’re going to be successes and perhaps it would be good to share a little bit of how many of us got there. Take the good advice because you are going to get lots of advice. People are going to come up to you and they are going to tell you everything that you can do and how to do it. But some people are going to give you bad advice and some people are going to tell you that you can’t do it. Only you can decide which advice you take. But when you do it, you learn along the way and believe it or not, if you filter the advice and take the good advice, which often is free by the way. You know, how we assign value according to the price we pay; free advice could be could advice.”

Since its inception on August first, 2000, there has been close to seven thousand graduates from the University of Belize.