BTC records outstanding results for academic year

Over 80 graduates of the Business Training Center (BTC) have been advised to ‘Pursue, Overtake, Recover all, without fail’-the theme for the institution’s  Graduation Ceremony held at the People’s Pentecostal church in Goodwill this morning.

At the ceremony, Director of the center Lucia Stedman reported improvements in students’ performance for the last academic year.

“In the past academic year we have seen the most outstanding results at BTC. For the first time in history we attained a 92 percent pass rate at international external exams where 28 of our 31 students obtained the full diploma in the secretarial program.  Five of these students will be awarded today for achieving distinctions in every subject,” Stedman stated.

“Last year CXC results was also promising and we are pleased  to announce that we finally achieved outstanding performances in subjects such as biology, EDPM ,English and Mathematics, subjects that have been rather challenging over the years for our students,” She added.

The Student of the Year award went to Principles of Business student Celia Gregoire, while her colleague Anita Victor De Jean received the Director’s award for Outstanding Academic Performance and Perseverance.

“To you the graduands, you should feel blessed because of your diligence and humility. You should be proud of yourself. We are indeed proud of you.  Your sacrifices this past year has paid off…Do not give up. Prioritize! Continue to make newer and greater sacrifices. It will all be worth the struggle in the end,” Stedman told graduates.

Featured speaker Magistrate Tiyani Behanzin urged the graduands to be aware of their ancestral history in their quest to succeed. He stated, “Always give homage to those who we have displaced.” He told graduates that one must know where they come from in order to know where they are headed.

The magistrate reiterated the importance of the remembering African heritage. “Despite limitations we place on our minds…we come from the most powerful people,” he said.

Behanzin advised students to aspire to be equal to the “so called very best”.

He is convinced that some of the qualities which are necessary for success are that of determination, aggressiveness and gratefulness.

He said that one’s accomplishments should not be just about one’s self, but his community and country.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau Central Constituency Norris Prevost, who urged students to “focus not so much on the certificate that you have received but on what the person behind the certificate stands for.”

Prevost encouraged character formation and strong Christian and moral values.

Representative from the Ministry of Education Jeffery Blaize, addressed the ceremony, recommended persistence.

“Your challenges must not hold you captive…continue perseverance,” he said.

The BTC Graduating Class of 2010 consisted of graduates from the fields of secretarial administration, Caribbean Examinations Council examinations, Gourmet Cooking Certificate course and Tourism and Travel Agency Management among others.

Some of the special awards went to Letticia St Rose for Business Administration, Lianne Letang for Principles of Accounts, and Mary Angol and Conaniah Thomas for Human and Social Biology.

Other Special awards for Outstanding Academic Performance in the LCCI 2009 External Exams, , were received by Mahala Andre, Marette Baptiste, Jo-Anne Vigilante, Shadira Telemaque and Hazel Thomas.

Each of these graduates received distinctions in all three subjects they sat.

Janet Dominique was the  recipient of a Penn and Foster Certificate in Gourmet Cooking.