Fellow UWI Pelicans,
As I say
“Au revoir” to The UWI, I wanted to share a few thoughts about my journey with you. After over 25 years, I leave with a heart full of gratitude and humility, knowing that the work I’ve done has positively impacted many graduates across the Region and world, and that its influence will hopefully continue to ripple outward for years to come.
Among the various areas I have had the privilege to create and contribute to, the one launched on January 26, 2006, the UWI STAT Ambassadorial Corps, stands out as perhaps the most meaningful. It has been a true honour to help shape and support this transformative leadership initiative, one that continues to grow, evolve, and now anchors the One UWI Responsible Futures Programme. This wider effort focuses on the phased mainstreaming of sustainability and the United Nations SDGs across all five campuses. I serve it with pride as Regional Director.
What has made this work truly fulfilling is knowing that thousands of UWI STAT Ambassadors and Alumni Ambassadors have been positively influenced and equipped with a service-oriented, altruistic, Caribbean-sensitive, and sustainability-focused outlook that they carry forward into their professions, communities, and lives. That sense of purpose and empowerment is what I nurtured, and I am extremely proud of all the young people whose lives have been so positively impacted.
I am also deeply grateful to have been able to design and propose The One UWI Sustainability Policy, to have helped guide the development of the Student Sustainability Strategy alongside STAT and Guild Presidents, and to have integrated sustainability into civic engagement activities through student Clubs and Societies. With the support of Dr. Emily Dick-Forde and her team, as well as the Pro Vice-Chancellors for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, I was able to host the first UWI Teach-In, a significant step in embedding sustainability into our academic landscape. The UWI did brilliantly, and I was also delighted to receive a special letter from Responsible Futures International (IAU/SOS-UK) for my leadership and proactive approach, working with and through UWI educators across the five campuses, placing the UWI on the campaign’s international Leaderboard for number of learners reached; and also for ensuring that the student-voice was and is centrally included. I was equally proud to inaugurate the Club Prize for Sustainability, which celebrates student-led impact, and present the inaugural prize to the UWI St. Augustine Club: Cooperative & Projects Society (CAPS). As Founder and ex-officio member of the YAA Advisory Board, I will continue offering my support to student and alumni ambassadors alike. It is my hope that the STAT family and the wider alumni community continue to grow in strength, unity, and purpose.
I’m comforted in knowing that I leave behind a strong suite of programmes and tools designed to keep serving UWI’s mission, including:
- The Pelican Perks Advantage Programme, which supports students and graduates with discounts and personal development opportunities. From September 2025, it will have its own budget line, supporting a full calendar of events led by the Alumni Relations Director and Campus Alumni Officers. I won’t be here to witness that long-awaited funding materialise, but I am deeply thankful it will benefit future generations.
- The
Strategic Alumni Relations Guide, a 24/7 reference point offering a clear overview of UWI’s alumni engagement strategy, ready to be built upon and adapted for evolving needs.
- UWI Nexus e-update and UWI Connect magazine, which connect alumni across borders.
- Our Alumni Relations LinkedIn presence, now with over 101,000 followers, reflecting the vibrant, global reach of the UWI network.
- The Alumni Pledge, now a heartfelt tradition at UWI graduations, reinforcing the lasting bond between graduates and their Alma Mater.
- And of course, our guiding mantra, “One UWI, One Alumni Family”, which continues to inspire a spirit of unity, belonging, and service across the region and diaspora.
In terms of publications, I had the opportunity to contribute a Book Chapter in “Caribbean Quality Culture: Persistent Commitment to Improving Higher Education” (UWI Press, 2021), entitled Chapter 6 – How Quality Positively Impacts Alumni Cultivation and Engagement: A Regional Perspective.
