Kittitian Delivers Class Speech at UVI Commencement Ceremony

(ZIZ NEWS)— 15 students from St. Kitts and Nevis graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus on Thursday.

Among them is Communications major and English minor Patrice Harris who was selected to write and deliver the class speech.

Speaking with ZIZ News ahead of Thursday’s commencement ceremony, Harris said her intention was to deliver a speech that would motivate and inspire her fellow graduands.

She said, “Whenever I’m tasked to deliver a message to a group of persons, i always want to leave the room with a strong message. I want persons to be moved and that is what i am working towards; getting my fellow graduating class of 2016, to think there are so many opportunities, there is so much potential for you, there is so much that you can achieve.”

She said she was grateful for the opportunities afforded to her while at UVI stating, “UVI has shaped me in such a way that I feel confident to apply for virtually anything at this moment, just because it has empowered me and I am grateful being a student coming from St. Kitts and Nevis, coming to UVI and being able to have opportunities on the us mainland.”

Harris congratulated the other graduands of the Federation and said she looks forward to returning home and contributing to the country’s development in the area of communications.

Harris is one of the 7 who form part of the first cohort from the federation who received the scholarship under the MOU between the government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the University of the Virgin Islands who graduated on Thursday.

She was also named the 2016 Best Communications Student and the 2016 Best Student Employee of the year for her work at UVI’s radio station.