Jamaica’s Prime Minister to address Graduates at Union Institute & University in South Florida
NORTH MIAMI BEACH – The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller will address graduates of Union Institute & University (UI&U) at their commencement ceremonies to be held at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida on Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 4:00 pm.
A reception for graduates, friends, and family will follow. An invitation-only luncheon in her honor will take place at noon that day.
Prime Minister Simpson Miller, herself a 1997 graduate of Union Institute & University, will speak to more than 65 graduates who are earning degrees in a variety of fields, from education to social work and criminal justice.
The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller
A member of Jamaica’s parliament since 1976 when she was elected to the House of Representatives, Mrs. Simpson Miller also served terms as minister of local government, community development, and sports; minister of tourism and sport with special responsibility for women’s affairs; and minister of labor, welfare, and sport.
Unanimously approved by the full parliament, she was named Jamaica’s seventh and first female prime minister on March 30, 2006; only the third female head of state in the Caribbean. Since then, she has visited or hosted the leaders of Brazil, Chile, Haiti, Malaysia, Venezuela, and more. She is 89th on the 2006 Forbes Magazine list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.
Upon taking office, Mrs. Simpson Miller pledged to bring together all Jamaicans to fight rising crime, violence, and child abuse, while increasing opportunities for education and training, housing, tourism, and economic investment.
Since then, the government has approved more than $1 billion to repair and upgrade 97 basic schools; expanded funding by half-a-billion dollars for the National Youth Service to provide opportunities for 2,000 more youths; aided the nation’s poor through an annual half-a-billion-dollar pool of benefits set aside by the National Housing Trust; provided $150 million to build shelters for senior citizens and the indigent; and made available through the National Insurance Scheme $1 billion for loans to benefit 5,000 small businesses.
Mrs. Simpson Miller’s campaign for party leadership focused on empowerment for the marginalized, especially the poor, women, and children, and uniting all classes to tackle deep-rooted problems of crime and economic underdevelopment. Mrs. Simpson Miller “… won over everyday Jamaicans who identified with her struggle as someone born into a working-class rural family … who put herself through college while being a member of parliament…,” according to a February 26, 2006 Miami Herald article.
Mrs. Simpson Miller says that she chose to study at UI&U to broaden her knowledge base and solidify her academic credentials, which became necessary to advance in a political career that began while she was still in high school.
Mrs. Simpson Miller was also motivated to complete her degree to prove something to her constituents, especially to the youth of Jamaica. “Anything you make up your mind to do, you can achieve,” she said. “When you have the power that comes with knowledge, you can use it for the advancement of people’s lives.
I will never forget my experiences at Union Institute & University because they assist me in continuing to make a difference.” Despite her demanding schedule and extensive responsibilities throughout the years since her graduation, she has maintained her friendship with the faculty and staff at the Florida Center.
Also participating in the ceremony is UI&U President Roger H. Sublett, Ph.D., Provost Richard S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dean Marie Bogat, Ph.D., and former Cincinnati Mayor Eugene Ruehlmann, as well as faculty from the North Miami Beach center.
Trustee Virginia Wiltse, Ph.D., will confer the degrees. Approximately ten graduates will receive recognition for having been nominated for Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Tamue L. Nelson, majoring in elementary education, will deliver the invocation. John J. Nesteruk, majoring in criminal justice, will deliver a response on behalf of his fellow learners, and Deanna L. Simpson, majoring in public administration will present a benediction.
