Center for the Deaf: 5 Students Graduate With Honours and Make Their Way to BTVI
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Five students from the 2020 Graduating Class of the Red Cross’ Centre for the Deaf are on their way to Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute.
The students graduated with Honours from the school on Friday, having used the public high school curriculum from the Ministry of Education.
Jevonny Allen received the Principal’s Award for the highest Grade Point Average, and Wilfrenique Belizaire, Waydesha Lewis, Patrick Pierre and Chinvia Saunders received awards for attaining Honour Roll status for their accumulative high school years, grades 10-12.
The graduates will enroll at the Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute and their goals are to become business owners at the conclusion of their studies at BTVI.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, Frankie Campbell said the students’ success was yet another example of the abilities of the community of persons with disabilities and of the possibilities that can exist when access and inclusion for all is fortified, and when the focus is on a person’s abilities as opposed to any disability with which they may live.
Minister Campbell told the graduates, their teachers and parents, that the Government of The Bahamas remains committed to ensuring access and inclusion for all of its citizens. Access and inclusion was the common message delivered by Minister Campbell and Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd, during the Graduation Ceremony held on the school’s campus.
“I want to state the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas to providing access and inclusion for all Bahamians and so when the government speaks about free tuition to the University of The Bahamas, we are speaking to you; when the Government speaks about free tuition to BTVI (The Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute), we are talking about you (and) when the Government talks about $55Million available for persons who want to become entrepreneurs, we are also talking about you,” Minister Campbell said.
Minister Campbell applauded the parents of the graduates for the roles they played in the students’ success.
“We are here today because this group of parents decided that they would not do what some other parents have done in the past, and continue to do, which is to keep their children who live with a disability at home. These special parents saw in their children, even from infancy, all of their abilities as opposed to any disability. I applaud you for your efforts, for your guidance and support,” Minister Campbell said.
