The UWI Open Campus, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Wednesday, October 13, 2021—This Saturday, October 16, when The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus hosts its virtual graduation ceremony, Bachelor of Education student, Laura Ramoutar will represent the graduating class of 2021—a total of 877— as its Valedictorian.
Mrs Laura Ramoutar completed her studies at The UWI Open Campus Country Site in St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Having satisfied the requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Development and Family Studies, she obtained First Class Honours, and emerged as Valedictorian, following a rigorous selection process.
Laura’s passion for education is lifelong. From as early as her teenager years, her professional goal was to become a primary school teacher. These ambitions were temporarily delayed as she pursued motherhood and focused on nurturing her children holistically. “From my childhood, I manifested an unwavering and fiery passion for teaching and learning, combined with a desire to be of service to others,” she explained.
When the youngest of Laura’s three children entered pre-school, determination guided her towards employment as a preschool teacher. Increasingly motivated to fulfil her lifelong ambition, in 2018, Laura applied to The UWI Open Campus to read for her degree. Simultaneously, she completed several short courses at a local institute in Trinidad and Tobago in order to enhance her teaching competency. Currently, she supports the learning and development of approximately 70 children through an online tutoring service.
Having successfully completed her undergraduate degree with the Open Campus, Laura’s goal is to secure a teaching position in a public school as well as to pursue a Master’s Degree in Inclusive and Special Education.
“Looking at my offspring inspires me to persevere on my quest to create opportunities for the success of children in my country,” Laura said. She intends to continue pursuing personal development with the aim of positively influencing the education sector and persisting in service to people. “I continue working towards increasing the quality of life of others and guiding all of my children towards becoming the best version of themselves,” the 2021 Valedictorian stated.
The UWI Open Campus is proud that Laura chose the Campus to fulfil her lifelong dreams and salute her on this significant academic accomplishment. As is customary, Laura will deliver the Valedictory Speech at the Graduation Ceremony on behalf of her fellow graduates from across the region on Saturday October 16, 2021. Well-wishers across the world can tune in to be part of the virtual Open Campus graduation celebration via www.uwitv.org, UWItv’s channels on Flow EVO or on Facebook live from 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Caribbean/AST) | 3:00 p.m. (Jamaica/EST).
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Photo Caption: Mrs Laura Ramoutar, 2021 Valedictorian, The UWI Open Campus.
About The UWI
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.
From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.
The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
For more, visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
