Education

UVI Graduates Called to Resist, Rebuild, and Redefine the Future in Stirring St. Thomas Ceremony

The graduating class of the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas received their degrees during a stirring commencement ceremony on Friday. University President Dr. Safiya George awarded the St. Thomas class of 2025 the epithet “lit”, an acronym of “Limitless,” “Innovative,” and “Tenacious,” which is how the graduates described themselves. “You're the next generation of leaders at the nexus between educational preparation and implementation for greater impact and economic development right here at home,” George said, repeating her encouragement to the St. Thomas cohort that they remain in the Virgin Islands to make contributions to their community. Keynote speaker Hill Harper challenged graduates with the admission that “my generation has really screwed up this work, and the charge is on your generation to actually have to fix it.” The class of 2025 and their agemates are capable of this monumental task, he argued, “because you’ve already come through hurricanes, you've come...