Twenty-six-year-old Khushal Singh, has emerged as the University of Guyana’s (UG) 2023 valedictorian.
A release from UG said that Singh completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management with a perfect GPA of 4.0 capturing both the President’s Medal for the Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student and the Prime Minister’s Medal for the Best Graduating Student with a Degree of Public Management.
Singh, a resident of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD), will be amongst the over 3000 graduands who will be walking the University of Guyana’s graduation stage when UG hosts its 57th Convocation exercises from November 9 to 18, 2023.
In his immediate reaction to the news that he was named this year’s Valedictorian, the release said that Singh told the University of Guyana’s Public Relations Department that he was extremely happy that he copped the coveted prize.
“I feel very happy, proud and fortunate. It is an incredibly rewarding experience. It is a sign that I have worked hard, achieved success, and earned the respect of my peers. It is a reminder of how far I have come and the potential I have to achieve even more. It is also a great opportunity to inspire others and show them what hard work can achieve”, he said
Singh attended the Enterprise Primary School and then went on to the Bishops’ High in Georgetown. The Valedictorian told the UG Public Relations Department that he came up in very humble circumstances but this never stopped him from dreaming big. His mother is a housewife and his father works in the interior.
“My family understands the value of education and always kept pushing me to do the best I can and to complete the programme even though I was faced with some challenges,” he said.
The Valedictorian who is also an avid chess player, said that he was able to accomplish this feat in three years.
“I had to pull additional courses and do summer courses. This meant lectures clashing, several tests in one day, and a greater amount of effort and work being required. With classes, assignments, work, social activities, and other commitments, it can be hard to balance everything,” he said.
On how he was able to cope, Singh said: “I was able to overcome these challenges by being disciplined, consistent and utilise goal setting. I had to prioritise lectures and tutorials and set short and long-term goals. This enabled me to keep track of remaining assessments and plan accordingly. Taking on so much in a short time requires you to be persistent and highly organised.”
He added that his academic journey was not all smooth sailing.
“I was determined to continue pushing myself and expanding my horizons. I was also motivated by the feeling of accomplishment. Every time I gained an ‘A’ I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. This feeling kept me going and gave me the drive to continue pushing myself”, he told the UG Public Relations Department
Singh, who has been married for one year now, said that this is not the end of his academic journey as he intends to keep going after new knowledge.
“I aspire to develop myself academically with a master’s degree and a doctorate and serve in a capacity where I am able to positively influence policies as I believe these greatly shape the future of individuals, societies and nations. Additionally, I aim at becoming a successful entrepreneur and creating fruitful businesses that will make a progressive impact on my nation”, he said.
Speaking to persons who have not yet taken the step of pursuing tertiary education he said: “Take the leap. I would encourage anyone to pursue an education at the University of Guyana, as the institution is a springboard for achieving your dreams and a better life. The experiences will be life-changing and the opportunities that will come will be endless. Have faith in yourself. I know there will be obstacles but those too shall pass.”
He thanked all those who contributed to his success, including his family, friends, university lecturers and members of his community.
Several other outstanding graduands will be receiving special awards, UG said. These include: Dhanraj Baljit who completed a Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). He will be receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for the best graduating student in the School of Medicine; Keon Heywood who will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Secondary) English will share the Council of the University Prize with Marleysa Bishop, who will graduate with a Degree in Food Science, the release said.
The Council of the University prize is awarded to the graduating student who has attained at least a “Pass with Credit” and has made the greatest contribution in other areas of University activities. Heywood will also share the Dennis Irvine Award with Shedella Hodge who completed a Degree in Social Work and will be recognised for being the student who has made the greatest contribution to the cultural life of UG.
Ruth Manbodh will be presented with The Chancellor’s Medal for being The Second Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student. Manbodh will be graduating with a Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences. Sarah Hannah Grannum, who is graduating with a Degree in Law will be awarded The Pro-Chancellor’s Medal for being the best graduating Law student at the University. Feryal Khan will be presented with The Campus Award for The Best Graduating Student at any of the Campuses other than the winner of the President’s Medal. Khan who attends UG’s Tain Campus will graduate with a Degree in Management. Moses Rover, who has completed a Degree in Biology will receive the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) Award for being the Graduating Student (other than the winner of the Council’s Prize), who has attained at least a “Pass with Credit” and has made an outstanding contribution in other areas of University activities.
The 2023 Convocation Ceremonies for graduands of the Turkeyen Campus began yesterday at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) in Georgetown from yesterday and will continue up to tomorrow and for Tain Campus on Saturday, November 18, 2023 on the University Lawns, Berbice Campus.
The ceremonies will be blended with the large majority of the graduands attending face-to-face and the remaining participating virtually.
The public is invited to celebrate with the University of Guyana at this year’s graduation events which will be streamed live on the University’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uniofguyana and UG Broadcasting Service at https://broadcasting.uog.edu.gy/.
