– in address on 180th anniversary
Referencing themes of humility, tolerance, and social conscience, President Irfaan Ali, in an address at the Special General Assembly for Queen’s College’s 180th Anniversary yesterday urged alumni, educators and students to honour what the institution stands for and its contributions to cultivating leadership and excellence in the nation.
Highlighting the crucial link between our past, present, and future in building a brighter, stronger Guyana, President Ali said, “I recognize all the distinguished men and women who sit before me… I want to also acknowledge the tremendous contribution this school would have made in producing some of our finest sons and daughters in service to our country and a global family.”
He challenged the audience at the National Cultural Centre to reflect on the interconnectedness of society, spotlighting the commitment of the school’s teachers. Speaking of the current staff, he noted, “Of your 56 plus teachers, save and accept the four student teachers, none of them attended QC. What is the lesson of this? … [It is] that the service you will give does not depend on where your starting point is. It depends on some characteristics that are important; it requires a certain commitment.”
The President took pride in the students’ accomplishments, reinforcing the importance of hard work and personal growth. “… Never, ever shortchange your individual ability to be where you are, [and] the environment that allows you to grow and achieve this accomplishment,” he stressed.
He urged students to honour their roots and support their communities, emphasising the strength found in collective achievement. “The future that we build for ourselves is going to be as weak as the weakest person in that future, and it’s going to be as strong as the collective strength of all the people of our country,” he said.
“… Never believe for a moment that the journey is about you alone… There will be highs and lows, but when you’re at your very low, the honour, dignity and pride through which you climb back to the top is the test of your character. It is the test of your strength. It is the test of your resilience…”
How they navigate these tests, he told them, will “truly reflect whether you’re a product of the institution or not. [This] institution represents the core of humanity, humility, tolerance, togetherness, equity. Then if all of us, collectively across the country, live these values, imagine the different country we will be living in. The values and foundation that the institution instils in you cannot change depending on the wind or the roughness of the sea…
He challenged them to redefine success and winning culture. “What constitutes a successful mindset, and what is your culture of winning? If your culture of winning is leaving others behind, we have to re-examine that culture… In this new Guyana, we are building a winning culture and a winning mindset,” he stated.
Ali encouraged the students to be solutions-oriented and embody the passion of effective teaching. “The choice in life is simple. Either you are the problem, you become the problem, or you add to the problem. Or you are the solution, you become the solution, or you add to the solution. I would suggest that …it is always, sustainable, to be part of the whole rather than believe you are the whole.”
