NEW YORK, NY – Jamaica’s Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Professor Kenneth Hall, has challenged Jamaicans in the Diaspora to strive for excellence as they prepare to face the challenges of the 21st Century.
“I am positive that our combined efforts to achieve and maintain this standard and the cumulative effects of this initiative, would be transformational and phenomenal,” the Governor General said, as he addressed the fundraising dinner and dance hosted by the Connecticut Chapter of the Mico College Alumni Association (MCAA) on June 10, at the Sheraton-Hartford Hotel in East Hartford.
He challenged the audience to “consider the impact and the kind of Jamaica that would emerge if we were all seized with a determination to pursue excellence in all we do. Imagine what would happen if we accepted the concept that excellence is not an act, but a habit; not a position but a disposition”.
Professor Hall said that he was beginning to appreciate the impact that overseas Jamaicans were making through the many alumni associations.
“It is clear that Jamaicans in the Diaspora have become a dynamic part of the seamless society, moving beyond the borders of their adopted country to maintain those very important developmental and educational links in their homeland,” he stated.
According to the Governor General, Jamaica held a prominent stature in the international community, due mainly to the high standard of advocacy by its representatives in various fora around the world and the promotion of the country’s interests overseas by the government.
Turning to the Diaspora Conference, which is slated for June 15 and 16 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, the Governor General said that the two-day meeting of nationals from across the globe, should bring about a “a productive exchange of ideas”.
More than 500 delegates from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other countries, are expected in the island for the event.
The function featured the presentation of scholarships to three high school seniors of Jamaican heritage towards their college education. The three are Jodi-Ann Gordon, Lakeisha Copeland, and Jodienne Richards.
In addition, the MCAA honour award went to Leslie Perry for 36 years of “unselfish dedication and commitment to the field of education”.
The Governor General, whose wife, Her Excellency Rheima Hall, is a Mico College alumnae, was made a lifetime member of the association with all the constitutional rights, in recognition of his years of dedicated service to education.
President Calvin Ferrier later told JIS News that the function, while a celebration of the association’s 16 years of existence, also served to place focus on the youth. “For any of us, just a few years ago, we were faced with the same challenges but we overcame. As Miconians, we too believe that a mind is a powerful tool to be wasted,” he stated.
