Eleven Saint Lucian students preparing to depart for Morocco for higher education received both congratulations and a heartfelt reminder of their responsibilities from Education Minister, Honourable Shawn Edward.
The minister emphasized that while the students are adults and pursuing personal goals, they carry the weight of representing their country abroad.
“So please, when you get to Morocco, in as much as you are your own person, you’re an adult, we understand that, but remember, you are representing a country,” Minister Edward told the scholars.
“You, quite apart from what is required of you within the confines of the classroom or the university, you have an ambassadorial responsibility to Saint Lucia. How you speak, how you dress, you conduct yourself is a reflection of 180,000 people in this country.”
Minister Edward also warned that studying abroad comes with challenges that test both character and resolve.
“It will not be a walk in the park. There will be moments and there will be days when you will be challenged. There will be days and there will be moments when you will question yourself. Am I making the right, did I make the right decision to come here? And then you begin to think maybe I should go home or give up,” he said.
He added, “Any university student or any student who leaves Saint Lucia to study abroad and never encounters the situation where you have to question whether you made the right decision to be here, something is wrong with you. You will be tested, not just on paper and in computer labs, but your resolve, your personality, your strength of character will be tested.”
The meeting served as both an encouragement and a reminder that education abroad is not only an opportunity for academic growth but also a platform to embody the values and pride of Saint Lucia on the international stage.