‘Oh, Happy Day:’ 211 graduate in UVI St. Thomas ceremony

For the first time since 2019, “Pomp and Circumstance” could be heard at the University of the Virgin Islands during its 58th graduation ceremony for the 211 students of the “Resilient, Determined, Overcoming Class of 2022” on the St. Thomas campus on Thursday.

UVI President David Hall compared the day to a song he heard during his first year of college: “Oh, Happy Day.”

“This is truly a happy day, a happy day for this university for after two years of virtual commencement ceremonies, we are all back together again,” he told the graduates. “It is a happy day for the parents, friends and supporters of our graduates because you get to witness them walk across this stage live in living color and, of course, it is happy day for you, our graduates.”

He added that they “have done what no other UVI class has done, which is complete the last two years and two months during a pandemic, which required you to study learn and excel in circumstances like you have never encountered before.”

Some graduates were making history, he said. The 32nd Legislature, in 2018, passed a bill funding the launch of a Master of Social Work degree at the university. The first six graduates of the program include one on St. Thomas who received a degree during the St. Thomas ceremony, and five who will graduate on St. Croix today.

The graduates were a diverse group in age and interests.

Deborah Finley Jackson, 73, received her doctorate of philosophy or Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. She was a teacher for 30 years, but came out of retirement after only a year. She now works for the UVI Creativity Lab, facilitating workshops and retreats in creativity and creative problem solving, strategic planning and more.

“It felt like my brain was turning into mashed potatoes, so I looked at UVI and found the program and here I am. Lifelong learning is the way to stay young,” she said. “Why wouldn’t we want to learn new things? UVI is the perfect place for that.”

Another educator returned to school to obtain a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership degree. After 24 years as an educator, Juan Christian is currently working as the marketing director for Tutu Park Mall. He returned to school with the encouragement of professors and mentors.

“I find that education is extremely important,” Christian said. “As a leader it can open doors for us to be a blueprint. We know the current trends in education, everything is changing and transforming. We have to unearth different ways of not just leading but instructing students. That way, on both our goals, we can harness anything that would bring forth the final product of excellence.”