Primary school grads urged to pursue dreams despite obstacles

Sixty students from Blackman and Gollop Primary School were encouraged to pursue their dreams regardless of challenges during their graduation ceremony on Thursday at the Christ Church Parish Church’s Ivan Harewood Auditorium.

University lecturer Dr Ian Marshall, the featured speaker, emphasised the importance of having dreams and the joy of achieving them. He told the graduates, “The good thing about dreams is that the same skill sets, attitudes and dispositions that you develop when pursuing one dream can be transferred to another dream. You don’t lose anything by being the man in the pursuit of dreams.”

Dr Marshall shared personal anecdotes, including his childhood experience of rearing sheep, which he credited with instilling discipline and other attributes that helped him in his studies and later life. He also revealed his own lifelong ambition to study law, which he is now pursuing in his 50s after financial constraints prevented him from doing so in his youth.

The class of 2024 was praised for overcoming numerous challenges during their primary school years. Valedictorian Ebony Lovell, who will attend Harrison College in September, highlighted these obstacles in her speech: “We have overcome many challenges on the path to today’s victory, including cow itch, ash fall, grass fires, the death of Mr Francis and a global pandemic caused by COVID-19, which forced us into online school.”

Lovell, the top female student and top student overall, received several awards including the Petrona Holder Award for leadership. Eithan Waterman was recognised as the top male student and will attend Queen’s College. Both students were commended for their performance in the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination.

The graduation ceremony was held under the theme “Reach for the stars, pursue your dreams, follow your heart”. Dr Marshall also advised the graduates to seek divine guidance as they navigate future challenges, emphasising the importance of perseverance and endurance in achieving one’s goals. (SZB)