A new chapter begins for scores of students who graduated from Success Laventille Secondary School on Thursday.
More than 120 students, along with their parents, guardians and well-wishers, attended the graduation ceremony at Queen’s Hall on Thursday.
Valedictorians Nymiah Alleyne and Javante Duke celebrated the closing of one door and the opening of another.
“So what’s next? Some of us will be furthering our education, and some may go into the world of work, all new chapters.”
“We will all go our own ways, chasing dreams, building lives. Some of us already have five years planned, others are still figuring out breakfast tomorrow.
“And that’s okay, life doesn’t have to be perfectly planned to be meaningful.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xtra Foods, Angelo Daniel Austin, an alumnus of the school, shared his story, explaining that he went to work at 15 while attending secondary school.
“Small beginnings don’t mean small futures. Small beginnings teach you how to stretch. Small beginnings teach you how to be creative. Small beginnings teach you how to fight, how to rise. When others get comfortable, small beginnings teach you to listen more, to observe more and to teach and to listen. Small beginnings must be appreciated.”
Another alumnus, Kerron Hyndman, said when he attended the school in the 1990s, life wasn’t easy for him or many of his classmates.
“Many of us faced challenges outside of the classroom that no textbook could have prepared us for: poverty, violence, broken homes, and a feeling that the world had already counted us out. But here is the truth that no one tells you enough: where you come from does not define where you can go. This school, our school, is full of raw talent.”