The Catholic College of Mandeville, which was established by former bishop of the Mandeville Diocese of the Catholic church, the late Bishop Paul Boyle, continues to see significant growth in its student population and the role it is playing in the education sector.

When the school opened its doors in 1993, as the only catholic tertiary education institution in central Jamaica, it had 18 students. Today it has nearly 1000.

The college offers courses in primary education from the diploma to the masters degree level and held its 8th graduation ceremony on Sunday at the Kendal Conference Centre.

Guest Speaker, Winston Lawson, from the National Commercial Bank, implored the graduates to not only use their education for personal gain, but to 'reach out' to others.

Genuine happiness

This, he said, would generate a level of genuine happiness that material things would not bring.

Lawson reminded the graduates that life would bring disappointments and failures, but within those, opportunities could be found. He told the students they should spend their time looking for those opportunities.

"Our biggest problem and biggest solution," he explained, was us as Jamaicans and not the "International Monetary Fund, the PNP (People's National Party) or JLP (Jamaica Labour Party)".

According to Lawrence, if Jamaicans wanted change then "we the people must change" .

As an example, he added, as Jamaicans we complain about the high interest rates, yet we demand the highest returns on our investments, we continue to purchase foreign goods that are available here while lamenting the cost of foreign exchange.

Wealthy versus the rich

Jamaicans, he said, idolised the man who was wealthy with little morale values and principles and scorned the little man who lived by high principles and morale values - a situation he said needed to change.

One hundred and one persons graduated with diplomas, 85 earned bachelor's degrees in primary education and there were two post-graduate diplomas in education.

- Angelo Laurence