Bartica youth get 2nd chance, celebrates CXC success at IDCE graduation

…as 461 persons graduate from institution

Saturday was a memorable day for Bartica resident, Britney Hendricks, who was among the 461 persons who graduated from the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) as it gave her a second chance to write the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams after dropping out of school in 2021.
“I dropped out of high school in 2021, which really hurt because I thought I’d never get the chance to write CXC again. However, when I heard about the Academic Upgrading programme, I decided to join. I did my subjects, and I did great. I am so happy—this is a huge accomplishment,” she said in her testimonial posted by the University of Guyana (UG) just before her graduation. The young lady who graduated encouraged others, “don’t give up, no matter how old you are. If you keep going, you will eventually get it done.”
The ceremony on Saturday saw 130 males and 331 females graduating in various areas of study.

Speaking during the ceremony, UG Vice Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin charged the students to consider the importance of maintaining an equal balance of males and females, as this 35 per cent of men if continued can create a gradual imbalance within Guyana’s society.

“Oftentimes, when you have a class of so many women, which is wonderful—kudos to that—there are very few young men who are winning these prizes. But this year, I noticed that while there is a predominance of women in the classes, and they are still winning most of the prizes, about 35 per cent of the prizes were won by young men,” she said.

She further encouraged that the whole society should strive for balance.
“And I want to encourage you that as a society, we must aim for balance. We want our young women to find good young men, so they can, if they wish, be part of a family. And vice versa. When all the girls are educated but the men are not, we create an imbalance. So, we want balance on both sides.”
Amidst the imbalance, she relayed significant inspiration to the students present at the event.
She drew a powerful metaphor comparing giant animals often feeling boxed in zoos to graduates who may feel constrained by internal barriers, suggesting that students should not be limited by the belief that they cannot break free from whatever holds them back.

“For IDCE in particular, when I see your faces out here, I see many of you striving to break the kinds of bonds that may have been placed on you by many things…Some of you are here doing your second-chance mathematics and English to get into university. Some of you are taking makeup courses. But none of you are here because you didn’t break free from whatever it was that might have tried to hold you down. And that is absolutely amazing,” she stated whilst being greeted with a round of applause from the students.
On that note, she encouraged the students to reflect and examine all the things that would have held them back from pursuing their dreams.
“Write yourself a letter congratulating yourself. Write down everything that was a barrier to your success today that you overcame. Write down the names of the people who said you could not do it, and thank them for creating a challenge for you to overcome.”
She also pointed out the importance of not just thinking about what they want to achieve, but articulating it first to themselves, and then writing it down. In her view, when doubts arise and threaten to make them forget about their goals, they have something concrete to focus on.
She emphasised the vast opportunities available, even for those who may come from humble beginnings.
“We have many, many companies and people in this country. You have so many examples of people here who came from nothing or very little, but their work ethic, what was going on in their hearts and minds, and their determination—that intrepidness—is what caused them to succeed.”
She added, “Among you, there are people who could do this. It may not be a big fancy conglomerate, but it could be an excellent catering business or a wonderful service for the elderly…This is a big area. A lot of people are looking for individuals to care for their elderly parents, especially those in the diaspora who don’t want to place them in homes overseas. There are so many opportunities in the country. Get together.”
On that point, she stressed the importance of networking with other graduates right at the event, as they could become future business partners.
“If you haven’t met each other yet, you’re from different parts of the country. Get to know each other before you leave here today, because you never know, your business partner might actually be in the group somewhere else in the country. Having said these words, I always pray God’s blessings upon your lives.”
Proud and satisfied
Meanwhile, Hillary Chester, who graduated with a Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (COHS), said “from the beginning, I always wanted to be a safety officer, so pursuing this programme was a step towards my future career.
I’m glad there weren’t many obstacles. I always say, where there is a will, there is a way, so I put my best foot forward, and now I’m graduating today [Saturday]. I feel awesome—it’s great to be graduating right now, I’m thinking about pursuing the Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which will make me more marketable. I would encourage others by saying that it’s not about the beginning but the ending. How you start isn’t as important as how you finish.”
“I feel very proud and satisfied to be graduating today,” Monique John in her testimonial said.
“I was actually encouraged by my daughter, who is currently a student at the University. She’s studying Pharmacy, and she encouraged me to study too. After this, I plan to move on to a programme in Occupational Health and Safety. This programme was a great experience, though I did face some small challenges. Sometimes we had internet issues, especially when submitting assignments or during exams. A slow internet connection could be frustrating. I remember having to redo my Math Paper 2 because of it. However, despite these challenges, it was all worth it,” John who graduated with a certificate in Industrial Relations & Management said. (G2)