Khushal Singh is UG’s 2023 Valedictorian

…cops President’s Medal for Best Graduating Student

Khushal Singh, a 26-year-old who completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management with a perfect GPA of 4.0, has emerged as the University of Guyana’s 2023 valedictorian.
It was announced during the institution’s convocation ceremony on Thursday that Singh copped both the President’s Medal for the Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student and the Prime Minister’s Medal for the Best Graduating Student with a Degree in Public Management.
Singh, a resident of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD), is one of more than 3000 graduands who are walking the graduation stage during 57th Convocation exercise. In his reaction to the news of receiving the valedictorian award, Singh said he was extremely happy to cop the coveted prize.
He shared, “I feel very happy, proud and fortunate. It is an incredibly rewarding experience. It is a sign that I have worked hard, achieved success, and earned the respect of my peers. It is a reminder of how far I have come, and the potential I have to achieve even more. It is also a great opportunity to inspire others and show them what hard work can achieve.”

The graduate, the second of three siblings, attended the Enterprise Primary School and then went on to acquire his secondary education at the Bishop’s High in Georgetown. Coming from very humble beginnings, this never stopped him from dreaming big.
“My family understands the value of education, and always kept pushing me to do the best I can and to complete the programme, even though I was faced with some challenges,” he said.
The Valedictorian, who is also an avid chess player, explained that he was able to accomplish this feat in three years.
“I had to pull additional courses and do summer courses. This meant lectures clashing, several tests in one day, and a greater amount of effort and work being required. With classes, assignments, work, social activities, and other commitments, it can be hard to balance everything,” he explained.
In response to how he managed to achieve this level of success, he said, “I was able to overcome these challenges by being disciplined, consistent, and utilise goal-setting. I had to prioritise lectures and tutorials, and set short- and long-term goals. This enabled me to keep track of remaining assessments and plan accordingly. Taking on so much in a short time requires you to be persistent and highly organised.”

Singh said that this is not the end of his academic journey, as he intends to keep going after new knowledge so that he is equipped with the skills needed to make a positive difference in his community and country.
“I aspire to develop myself academically with a master’s degree and a doctorate, and serve in a capacity where I am able to positively influence policies, as I believe these greatly shape the future of individuals, societies, and nations. Additionally, I aim at becoming a successful entrepreneur and creating fruitful businesses that will make a progressive impact on my nation.”
Speaking directly to persons who have not yet taken the step of pursuing tertiary education, he encouraged, “Take the leap. I would encourage anyone to pursue an education at the University of Guyana, as the institution is a springboard for achieving your dreams and a better life. The experiences will be life-changing and the opportunities that will come will be endless. Have faith in yourself. I know there will be obstacles, but those, too, shall pass.”
In addition to Singh, several other outstanding graduands will be receiving special awards. These include Dhanraj Baljit who completed a Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), and will be receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Graduating Student in the School of Medicine.
Keon Heywood, who will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Secondary) will share the Council of the University Prize with Marleysa Bishop, who will graduate with a Degree in Food Science.
The Council of the University prize is awarded to the graduating student who has attained at least a “Pass with Credit” and has made the greatest contribution in other areas of university activities. Heywood will also share the Dennis Irvine Award with Shedella Hodge, who completed a Degree in Social Work and will be recognised for being the student who has made the greatest contribution to the cultural life of the University.
Ruth Manbodh will be presented with The Chancellor’s Medal for being named the Second-Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student. Manbodh will be graduating with a Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences.
Sarah Hannah Grannum, who is graduating with a Degree in Law, will be given The Pro-Chancellor’s Medal for being the best graduating Law student at the University.
Feryal Khan will be presented with The Campus Award for The Best Graduating Student at any of the campuses, apart from the winner of the President’s Medal. Khan, who attends UG’s Tain Campus, will graduate with a Degree in Management.
Moses Rover, who has completed a Degree in Biology, will receive the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) Award for being the best Graduating Student.
This year’s convocation ceremonies are extremely special as the University is proudly celebrating its sixtieth anniversary under the theme “Consistently We Rise, Changing the World in Infinite Ways”. The ceremonies for graduands of the Turkeyen Campus are being held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) in Georgetown from November 9 – 11 and for Tain Campus on November 18 on the University Lawns, Berbice Campus.
The University is also conferring Honorary Doctoral Degrees on ten outstanding Guyanese in various areas of expertise. On Thursday, these were conferred on decorated karate master Frank Woon-A-Tai and award-winning flutist Keith Waithe.