Over 4,000 Graduate From UB, BAC
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday October 13, 2014 17:47
On the other hand, BCA produced 321 graduates. Forty seven were for 47 Higher Diploma, 262 Degrees and 12 Master graduates. The Valedictorian (best student) 2014 award was won by Molatedi Lesiamang who was in the first group of students to study medicine at UB.
“It was almost half a decade ago when I addressed a similar gathering as we gathered to celebrate academic excellence. It was one of those great days when we gathered to celebrate academic excellence at my high school, Tutume McConnell College,” the young doctor said proudly.
He said as someone rated the best student during 2007 BGCSE and an individual principled in matters of excellence and development, he wanted to challenge his contemporaries not to allow their potentials to be muted. He encouraged them to strive for excellence and become professionals who will lead this country to success.
Lesiamang pointed out that graduation day was not only about celebration but to also reflect on the graduates’ journey. He said the graduating class were now different people from the time they started their academic journey as they had been tried, grilled and groomed to become elite professionals. “We did not only grow academically but the university has entrenched within us an experience that will help us withstand many hurdles in life. It is an achievement that every one of us deserves to celebrate,” he added.
Lesiamang said even though their academic journey was not easy as they faced challenges, tertiary education life on its own was not easy as they had to meet so many deadlines but they did that with utmost diligence. He said determination; self-drive and discipline graduates demonstrated was a clear indication that they had conquered temptations and distractions such as alcohol and drug abuse amongst others. He said the opening of the new faculty of medicine was a milestone in the development of the university, and beyond that, in its endeavour to improve the condition of the nation.
He pointed out that the graduation marked the beginning of another journey as there would be opportunities as well as challenges and advised them to in all instances be led by the same value of self drive, botho and importantly the element of excellence. UB Vice Chancellor, Thabo Fako, said the university had grown in leaps and bounds since 1964. At the time, it had only 31 academics and 188 students.
“With an annual enrolment of 18,176 students, UB is a community with a population that is bigger than that of many villages. It continues to contribute to the national ideas of an educated, enlightened and informed society,” he said.
He added that having its first medical doctors was another milestone UB had reached and was proud of. Fako assured the gathering that the medicine graduates where fully empowered with skills and knowledge and were ready for the job market. The medical school was upgraded to the status of Faculty of Medicine this year.