 I think of a marathon runner and I think of him in awe. I have the utmost respect for him or her or any true athlete for that matter. Rigorous training, self-sacrifice, strength of will and power of the mind. These are but a few qualities which characterize him. These are the braces and railings of his desires, hopes and aspirations as he continuously ascends life's staircase in the pursuit of excellence. If all of us become marathon runners in life's race, in our individual endeavors, upholding the bright torch that is passed on to other generations as we move on, owe the possibilities, then every moment will become an Olympic moment. But this is no mere stone's throw from the present reality of daily living. Discipline, the bonding agent of all the super fine qualities of a successful athlete, is sorely absent in many lives. Yet, it is this self-same discipline more than anything else that is paramount for growth and development, the ultimate aims of any education. It is your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude. This, my second trek through these walls, reaffirms my initial impression that life at Sir Arthur makes for bonding and establishing of relationships, lifetime friendships, and some friendships that are just a bit more than friendships. For the receipt of accolades of every sort toward societal well-being, for a blossoming of youthful minds, a proliferation of the human psyche, many entered this institution on a wave of expectation and anticipation. Spirits were high, determination strong, a powerful desire to go on. But for quite a few, this was just another defape icon, a sudden burst of energy at the start which soon waned. Sadly, some did not make it. But all of you here tonight have made it in more ways than one. You have made it not just because you received a certificate. You have made it not just because you are graduating from this institution. You have made it not just because most of you have already joined the professional soldiers of the working world. No, you have made it because you have made up your mind. This is a psychological milestone, fuelling your innate desire to accomplish whatever is put before you. Now you can conquer the world. You A-level students saw that life was not simply boy meets girl, but a genuine process of development towards self-actualization. You agriculturists saw that the true fruits of your labors were not simply the produce of the ground, but the understanding that your newly acquired knowledge must be harvested for the good of this nation. You nurses have cultivated a tender touch that might comfort many of us in our times of distress. You plain-clothed technical officers and budding professionals form a society of workers, cooks, secretaries, business-minded ones and trade persons, standing on call ready to report for duty, making life more comfortable for all. Many of you adults from the Division of Continuing Education have had to make various sacrifices and engage in a delicate balance of affairs to be where you are today. And of course, the great molders of minds, hearts and attitudes you teach us. Many of us came for a break from the rigors of the classroom, seeking a lifeline that we, in turn, may rescue the overwhelming number tied to an anchor of traumatic experiences happening in despair, while some just moved along with the tide. Now we have developed some kind of telepathic ability. We learn to read young, impressionable minds and to shape the upcoming generation who will, yes from now, take the places of all those sitting here. All of us are individual runners in this marathon, and all of us here have successfully completed this leg of the race. And you know that there are many more to come. We are not daunted, however, because success begets success. However, all of this being said, fellow graduates, you know better than anyone else that this is no better roses. The burdensome yoke of courses that seem without purpose. Frustrations aroused by serious bouts of myopia made manifest in the organization of the most basic exercises, namely exams and the conduct of lectures, and attempts by certain personnel to make fledglings of eagles ready to soar, proved to be like rusty nails in Sir Arthur's structure that will soon fall loose. It is imperative, therefore, that these be searched out and the situation remedied before the structure collapses. If not, it is as if the race has started and no arrangements have been made to clear the traffic or to have clearly posted signs to give a sense of direction. When students are prepared for one exam but write another, when others are called two to three days before the exam dates to be informed that they are required to write, the dangers of failure or becoming overwhelmed are ever present. I must tell you that among our tribulations has been the grueling and inhumane experience of having to wait almost six months to obtain results from UE. It might surprise you, but results for the programs taken by students of the Division of Teacher Education and Educational Administration were received only this week. Well, Friday, yes. We wish UE well. And for that same reason, my name is not even in the program. So maybe I should take this special opportunity to announce myself and the others of my class, two secondary, Marsha Simon, Chanel Isaac, Makaskar Isidore, and Bernardet Laura, those present. However, dear friends and graduands, it would be remiss of me to paint a picture of hopelessness for a tower so tall and so strong. We have been refreshed with the experience and good nature of insightful lecturers that empathized with our weaknesses and assumed our sorrows. We hail them. We benefited from facilities that we took for granted, but that are almost a fantasy for some in other territories. We appreciate, too, the positive lessons learned and accept them with honor. We recognize the efforts of all those who are at hand in where we are today, from college staff to parents and teachers, both past and present. Let me personally thank those involved for extending to me the privilege of being this year's valedictorian. My parting words to fellow graduands form these few uplifting expressions. Education is more than literacy. A whole lot more than paper. It is how you live based on the knowledge you have acquired and lessons learned. Pursue it, but don't idolize it. Manage it with the desire and endurance of purpose that pushes a marathon runner through familiar paths to reach goals that seem at the start almost impossible to reach. Truly, life is a marathon. What we have acquired here is the will to finish the race. Congratulations to you all. I bid you farewell.