President Marc Jerome conferred degrees following keynote address by Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy, former Governor-General of St. Lucia
Monroe College, the U.S.-based institution offering Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs from its campus in Castries, today held its Annual Commencement for local graduates. Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy, the former Governor-General of St. Lucia, delivered the keynote address.
The ceremony was held at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort in Gros-Islet
to accommodate the sizable number of families and friends in attendance to celebrate the academic achievements of the students earning their degrees.
Terry Deligny, a member of the College’s faculty, served as Grand Marshal for the opening processional. Pastor Daryl St. Clair of the Marantha District of Seventh-Day Adventists gave the invocation. Monroe College President Marc Jerome offered welcoming remarks, as did Alex Ephrem, Senior Vice President overseeing the College’s graduate programs, and Augustus Small, Dean of Administration for the St. Lucia campus. Dame Pearlette Louisy, the first woman in St. Lucia to serve as the country’s Governor-General, gave a rousing keynote address to great applause.
“It is my great privilege to officially recognize this class as alumni of Monroe College,” said President Jerome as he instructed the students during the ceremony to move their tassels to the left. The Commencement tradition symbolizes the students’ new status as college graduates.
The Class of 2018 included students from St. Lucia as well as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, India, Nigeria, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, among others. The ceremony began with a parade of flags, with each flag carried by a student from that country.
Monroe College celebrated its tenth anniversary in St. Lucia last year. The St. Lucia campus, located on Vide Boutielle Highway in Castries, offers students from the Caribbean a broad array of educational opportunities through programs offered through Monroe’s Schools of Allied Health Professions, Business & Accounting, Criminal Justice, Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York, and Information Technology.
On Friday, the College celebrated the launch of the new International Hospitality Training Institute, a partnership with the St. Lucian government to prepare residents for entry-level travel and tourism jobs. The Training Institute is located in the southern town of Vieux Fort.
ABOUT MONROE COLLEGE
Founded in 1933, Monroe College is a recognized leader in urban and international education. The College is proud of its innovative programs to increase college access, affordability, and completion outcomes, especially among first-generation students. The strength of its warm, supportive culture is reflected in the personal connections fostered among students, faculty, and staff.
Monroe educates close to 8,000 students each year, offering Certificate, Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs from campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle, and St. Lucia. Students may also take courses online. For more information and admissions criteria, please visit http://www.monroecollege.edu.