UWI Five Islands Celebrates 144 Graduates at Morning Ceremony
The campus recognises its first MBA cohort and honours Olympic champion Thea LaFond as UWI’s graduation season begins.
The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus celebrated 144 graduates during the morning session of its 2026 graduation programme, marking the start of the university’s wider graduation season.
The ceremony featured graduates from the School of Business and Management, alongside students from other UWI campuses who participated in the celebration in Antigua and Barbuda.
Among the campus milestones was the graduation of its first Master of Business Administration cohort.
The morning programme included awards in business, management, finance and other social science disciplines, with several students receiving first-class honours.
Olympic champion Thea LaFond received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and addressed the graduating class, sharing how changes to her training and mindset helped her overcome setbacks.
The ceremony was held under the theme “Built to Adapt, Ready to Lead,” which also shaped the addresses delivered by Chancellor Dr. Dodridge Miller and valedictorian Catalia Valentine.
Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and Lady Williams attended, along with Prime Minister Gaston Browne and senior university representatives.
The occasion also carried personal significance for Browne, whose sister was among those graduating, according to the ceremony’s commentary.
New Five Islands Campus Council Chairman Sir David Harrison attended, while the university acknowledged the passing of its previous chairman.
Musical accompaniment was provided by the Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, with a separate performance featuring Robin Joseph Nathaniel and the Creative Arts Dance School.
A second ceremony was scheduled for the afternoon for 84 graduates from the School of Science, Computing and Artificial Intelligence, the School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, and the School of Humanities and Education.
That programme was also set to recognise the campus’s first Master of Public Health cohort.
The Five Islands ceremonies opened a series of 16 UWI graduation ceremonies across its campus network.
This story was first published by Antigua News on : antigua.news/2026/10/11/uwi-five-islands-celebrates-144-graduates-at-morning-ceremony. © 2026 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.
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