(CMR) Five students short of 200 graduated from the John Gray High School on Thursday (October 22).
The site of the graduation ceremony, the school gymnasium was transformed into a prestigious affair and was attended by hundreds.
Both outgoing Head Girl Aliyah Myer and Head Boy Lebron McLean shared riveting joint graduation speeches that received a strong reception from all in attendance.
“Just imagine the combination of all our lights, all our talents, all our academic achievements firing up and making a difference in our global community, ” Myers vibrantly expressed, as she challenged her fellow graduates to let their imaginations run wild, while also pausing to face the current reality.
James, who joined virtually due to his enrolment at the Edna Manley School of the Performing Arts in Jamaica added his sentiments of how JGHS provided many world-class opportunities.
He went on to close out singing his rendition of the song, ‘Lockdown’ by Grammy-award winning singer Koffee.
In keeping with the theme, “Imagine If” the Acting Chief Officer for the Ministry of Education, Lyneth Monteith, delivered a special message on behalf of the Education Minister, encouraging graduates to hold on to their dreams and to continue to imagine the endless possibilities.
“Embrace the changes as they come. Think innovatively and seek opportunities to utilise the resources in your midst for the realisation of your dreams and betterment of our beloved Cayman Islands or the world if you so desire,” said Monteith.
The evening also saw a virtual cameo by ‘Musician of the Year’ awardee, Dequan Smith who performed a captivating musical item on the cello.
Dequan who is currently away studying music at the prestigious Wells Cathedral School in the United Kingdom, also received the award for Community and School Service.
Speaking to the event Principal Jonathan Clark acknowledged the unique challenges that this graduating class faced this year, asserting that no one in their family had ever lived through anything like this and so there could be no script to truly account for their historic experience.
He first praised all staff across Government, parents and guardians for their hard work in keeping his school’s staff and students safe amidst the pandemic.
Principal Clark commended the graduates for their resilience and further challenged them to set their self-expectations even higher, considering the times.
He also made special mention of the achievement of students in their exam results, reporting that the number of CSEC passes and the quality of the passes had improved, citing that many of the employers in the room would be impressed by the students’ performance.
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