"The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore." These words by Dale Carnegie sum up the traits of Claudette Campbell and Harris Allen: persistence, hard work and determination.

Campbell and Allen have every reason to be proud of themselves, as they are the valedictorians for Local Programmes and Commonwealth Executive Masters, respectively at the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), which recently held its 2009 graduation ceremony at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

"Being the valedictorian, representing my batchmates is a wonderful feeling," said Campbell, resident of Mandeville, who described her goals to become financially independent and a successful entrepreneur.

Sense of accomplishment

Her colleague, Allen, shared these sentiments, adding, "It has provided a heightened sense of accomplishment as I was among a group of very smart and capable individuals, any of whom could have been chosen."

Humility and hard work are traits both valedictorians share, both reiterating that the path to success is not a bed of roses. Both achievers attributed their success to these traits. "I would attribute my quiet determination and self-assurance, tempered only by my humility, as the key traits," Allen recounted.

"Commitment and dedication to my goals and a willingness to sacrifice and work hard towards success is something I owe this success to," said Campbell. "I like helping others to achieve their goals, once they are serious and willing to work hard."

The key to any success is discipline and professionalism, which both the valedictorians share. Allen, who has more than 20 years of work experience behind him, said his background in economics and accounting in his undergraduate levels played a part in his success.

Confidence boost

Campbell said that apart from the academic training, her specialisation helped her prepare for the moment by the exposure through the public speaking module and oral presentations, which boosted her confidence.

No path to success is achievable without the contribution of others. While Allen is indebted to his parents, Campbell's mother, friends and colleagues played that critical role. "My parents loom large as a source of influence, as they guided me well by sketching the alternative paths that life could follow, and the outcomes associated with each," said Allen.

In Campbell's case, it was a mix of influences, both people and circumstances, "My mom, a single parent, had her children young and was unable to complete her education beyond grade-school level," she recounted.

"I almost followed the same route but held fast to my determination to fight the odds, succeed and be the best I can be," she said.

Power Services Company Limited (PSCL) recently gave hope to needy students at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) when Managing Director Timothy Scarlett presented NCU president Dr Herbert Thompson with a cheque valued at $450,000 to offset the cost of tertiary education to some students.

This donation, according to Scarlett, is to assist as many needy students as possible in accessing a tertiary education. He said, "the mission of PSCL is to provide a better life for the residents of the parishes where we serve, and by extension, Jamaica. We remain steadfast in offering the highest-quality service to our clients, and in making the citizens of this blessed country the envied among their peers."

Audience encouraged

Dr Thompson, in responding to the presentation, shared his delight with the donation and encouraged the audience to make the best use of the generosity on display. According to Dr Thompson, "This cheque will go a far way in assisting the many needy students we have here at NCU. During this challenging financial time, we have responsible corporate citizens like Power Services Company Limited who have found it possible to come on-board to assist those who are less fortunate."

Jamaica and the region face some pressing issues relating to infrastructural renewal, environmental remediation, sustainable solutions to energy needs, and access to clean drinking water. However, a significant gap exists in the sector for technical specialists in civil engineering. This is especially true in light of the compelling national imperative to modernise roads, transportation and environmental networks. Currently, the need for civil engineering competence is partly being addressed by a few civil-engineering graduates who have not obtained specialist skills.

The new University of Technology Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering (B Eng Civil), which began in September 2009, is addressing this demand to strengthen Jamaica's human-resource base of expertise in civil engineering.

The programme has been designed with consideration of the philosophies of the civil engineering fields of study and current global trends in the curricula of such programmes.

Graduate development

The course of study aims to develop graduates who can design and competently apply engineering principles to processes associated with the construction of buildings, roads, bridges, ports, transportation networks and other structures in an environmentally friendly manner.

Graduates of the programme will be prepared to contribute to national and regional development in such areas as waste-to-energy technologies, forest engineering, water-resources engineering, environmental protection, land development and drainage, transportation, regional planning, and other related areas.

The university's application period for the 2010-11 Academic year is now open and will close on January 28, 2010. For further information, contact the Marketing Unit at 927-1680-8 ext. 2075 or 2077 and/or email prospectinfo@utech.edu.jm.