UVI's 2017 commencement ceremony in St. Thomas. By. ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM
The University of the Virgin Islands is set to honor the achievements of its students this week by awarding 280 degrees at its commencement ceremonies.
The ceremonies will be held on May 11 at the Albert A. Sheen Campus in St. Croix, and on May 12 at the Elridge Wilburn Blake Sports and Fitness Center on the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas. Both ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m., and will be livestreamed on the V.I. Consortium's Facebook and website platforms along with UVI's. DaVybe 107.9 FM will also broadcast the commencement ceremonies.
UVI President Dr. David Hall expressed his pride in the graduating students, stating, "This is a shining achievement not only for UVI but also for the Virgin Islands community as our graduates leave our halls with a wealth of knowledge, skills, experiences, and determination to make an impact as they transition to the next stages of their lives."
He added, "We have every confidence that these men and women will become our future leaders, visionaries, and difference-makers, carrying with them a great sense of responsibility to apply their hard-earned successes to real-world problems."
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, a prolific author, renowned orator, and distinguished academic, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremonies.
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will be bestowed upon distinguished Virgin Islanders Clema S. Williams-Lewis and Edward Elroy Thomas, Sr. at the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses, respectively, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the community.
Michael Bell, bachelor of arts degree in communication, art and theatre awardee, will be the class speaker on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. Kaylor Bass, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor of arts in psychology, will address the Class of 2023 on the Orville E. Kean Campus.
The university will confer degrees across various programs, with the College of Science & Mathematics, the School of Business, and the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences awarding the most degrees. These degrees include the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 graduates.
Graduates Michael Bell and Deanna Hunt are two such stories of success at UVI. Bell, initially unsure about attending university, graduates as a four-time Dean's List honoree, while Hunt, a computer science major, credits her success to her late junior high school mentor, Shirley Fleming, and the unwavering support of her family.
For more information related to the commencement day activities, please visit http://commencement.uvi.edu.
