Valedictorian Juan Diego Febres Gonzalez (third left) with members of his family at the graduation ceremony. (Judy H. Fitzpatrick photo)
DUTCH QUARTER--Five years ago when Juan Diego Febres Gonzalez was enrolled at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, he did not understand a word of English and was essentially lost in Dutch.
But not knowing these languages was no deterrent for this determined young man. Full of ambition and with a relentless drive to succeed, Febres Gonzalez burnt the midnight oil, worked hard, even sacrificing breaks to learn, while juggling extra curricular activities such as swimming and music. His efforts paid off on Tuesday when he graduated as the top student for his school in the Foundation Based Education (FBE) Exit Examinations securing a spot at St. Dominic High School.
In his moving valedictorian address at his graduation ceremony held at the Dutch Quarter Community Center, the young Venezuelan native, gave attendees a glimpse into his journey in his adopted home St Maarten and the sweet rewards of hard work.
“About five years ago, mom, dad, my brother and I arrived on this beautiful island with only one suitcase each, but our hearts and minds were filled with goals, dreams, and passions,” the top pupil told attendees at the graduation ceremony.
“My parents made the difficult decision to accept a job offer for my father with the hope of giving my brother and me a better quality of life - one which was impossible to have in Venezuela. Political instability placed all of us in constant tension, making it very difficult to meet our daily needs,” he said.
Febres Gonzalez said he vividly remembered the joy he felt when the family met his father at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA). His dad had been in the country for a year working to support his family in Venezuela, while diligently sorting out the requirements for their reunion.
“I got to hug and kiss my father after an entire year. You can’t imagine the happiness I experienced that day. A few months later, I was fortunate to be enrolled in this school [MLK] as a first grader. At that time, it was difficult for me to communicate since I didn’t understand a word of English. Don’t get me started on the Dutch, that’s a whole story by itself. I had no idea how I was going to study or advance. Fortunately, I had some Spanish-speaking classmates who were kind enough to translate for me, and with the help of Teacher Johnson, I began to understand and learn ‘proper’ English. During recess, I learned ‘real’ English, if you know what I mean. Thank you for being so loving, patient, and kind, teacher Johnson,” said the grateful young man.
“Things were going great until our island was suddenly ravaged by Hurricane Irma. I had never experienced anything like that before, but I believe God saved us from being completely destroyed. I saw the physical destruction as well as the power of people working together for a common cause. The government along with multiple individuals and organisations made it possible for our school to resume. It was not under ideal circumstances but we were determined to get things done. We are a resilient people! We bounced back,” he said.
He explained that the after-effects of Irma, for example, the inconvenience caused by leaking roofs, damaged materials, and mold interfered with the progress of pupils. Then came the global pandemic of COVID-19, he said, adding that the fear of death, the lockdowns, not being able to play with friends, wearing masks, and not being able to breathe properly or see each other’s smiles have all hampered pupils’ development academically, socially and emotionally.
“When we returned to school everything was different. There were signs everywhere with some weird instructions, but we kept pushing forward. If that wasn’t enough, our entire school had to be relocated because of mould and other issues. As the ambassador for the Class of 2023, I am just reminding us today that we have many good reasons to celebrate. God has been extremely good to us and we should never forget it. We can be happy as a school family.”
The appreciative young man, had kind words for each of the teachers who helped mould him and his fellow graduates. He recalled his second grade Teacher Reilly making class fun. “She is a very loving and kind teacher and taught us many new concepts. Teacher Jessica, our Dutch teacher, pushed us a lot. She tutored me privately for almost two years. Great investment. Thank you to both of you. We spent third and fourth grade with Mr. Narine. He is strict, but nice. I think he’s allergic to noise and indiscipline. He taught us many important life lessons and was keen on instilling values and principles in us. Teacher Gumbs, our Dutch teacher, took us to another level. Bedankt voor al die Jaren, juffrouw. Teacher Marsham, thank you for investing time and energy in my musical development. Making me play Havana on the trombone until I got it right is a precious memory I hold dear.
“Teacher Clarke was our fifth-grade teacher. She helped us to excel by pushing us to dream big, work hard, and climb higher. Teacher Emmanuel was a blessing to us during this time. Thank you both for all you did for us. At the end of fifth grade, we had no idea who our sixth-grade teacher would be. But I believe God smiled at us and gave us Teacher Narine one more time. And so, we were back together again with him.”
He said Teacher Narine equipped pupils with more tools to prepare for exams and transition to high school. “Many thanks to you teacher for all that you did to help us, especially by giving us free extra classes in the afternoon and during the Carnival break. You not only prepared us for the exams but also for life. You have been our school father for three years and it means a lot to us. Because you knew us so well, you knew how to approach each one of us and make us excel. You are a good mixture of seriousness and fun. We will miss your dry jokes, and constant reminders to conduct ourselves with respect and dignity. My favorite is your ability to find a song for almost anything we talk about.”
He also had kind words for the school manager and assistant school manager and the entire staff of the school, parents, guardians and others.
“To my classmates and my friends, this road has risen one level higher. This means that our efforts, our behaviours, our values and our ambitions must rise higher. Even though we will be going to different high schools, we must build the next level on the foundation that was set at MLK,” he told his classmates.
“Let us remember that the people who loved us here will still be available for us. Let us raise the banner of MLK higher through our conduct, compassion and accomplishments. Now that you have walked with me I’m sure you would agree that the Class of 2023 is well prepared to embrace the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Keep moving. Don’t let anything stop you. Move forward with dignity, honor, and decorum.”
