On December 13, eleven graduates gathered with parents and staff at St. John Bosco’s beautiful Sister Noreen Gray Hospitality Centre for St. John Bosco Vocational Training Centre’s annual Graduation ceremony. The theme “Still, I Rise” was inspired by the famous Maya Angelou poem of the same name which celebrates resilience in the face of adversity.
In keeping with the theme, the ceremony opened with a scripture reading and the performance of a motivational song (i.e. “Reach” by Gloria Estefan), which, as a whole, shared the message that each person can achieve greatness through God’s strength. Afterwards, the audience listened to St. John Bosco’s Administrator, Mrs. Stephenson-Taylor, as she recounted the school’s accomplishments throughout the 2023-2024 school year. Referencing the school’s mission to empower young people, she shared about the guidance counselling, social welfare and extracurricular programmes which promote students’ psychosocial, moral, and spiritual development. Students served on community outreach trips to childrens’ homes and clubs are thriving. On-campus facilities have been enhanced as evidenced by the construction of the Sister Noreen Gray Hospitality Centre and the provision of more computers for students and staff. The Sisters of Mercy’s critical concern for the Earth was reflected in this year’s partnerships with the Jamaica Forestry Department and the Manchester 4H Club to plant ornamental plants and an orchard on campus respectively. Other partnerships have included the recent collaboration with the HEART NSTA Trust to introduce new trade programmes to students. Mrs. Stephenson-Taylor then left the students with some words of wisdom as they move towards the next phase of life.
This was followed by warm greetings from Sister Susan Frazer, RSM (Executive Director, St. John Bosco VTC) to the graduates wherein she commended the students for shaping their own futures by pursuing non-traditional educational and career paths. Students Debra Mitchell and Tyrell Allen then took to the stage to share humorous reflections on their time at St. John Bosco and the skills, values and relationships they formed there. This special moment ended with a symbolic toast being shared by the entire graduating class.
Mrs. Raines Simpson (Technical Development Officer, Region 5) was given the honour of being the Guest Speaker for the ceremony and motivated students to use their skills to rise above the circumstances they were given and contribute to Jamaica’s development. “You are now a part of economic growth and nation building.” With charming relatability, she shared personal stories about people from her own life who were met with similar challenges as those which affect our students. She assured them that throughout the ups and downs of life, “God will never leave nor forsake you.”
Finally, each graduate received their certificates of completion signifying their mastery of multiple trade skills. For each student that received an award, Mrs. Gottshalk-Fenton (Dean of Students), shared their backstories with the audience – showing just how far each of them have come over the last couple of years. Gift bags containing professional trade tools and supplies were also given out to equip students for the working world.
A job well done graduates! We are excited to see what you accomplish next!
