USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona-Baez, student activities coordinator Shobhan Giterson and the newly inducted Ambassadors.
PHILIPSBURG--University of St. Martin (USM) held its traditional induction ceremony for new student ambassadors during a closed event on Friday, October 4.
A total of seven new students were inducted for the 2019-2020 academic year: Niyanca Vlaun, Ysmael Faustin, Yoshiko Barnes, Ria Khudan, Philana Thomas, Leidy Quecho-Bautista, and Sean O’Guy Walters. Lateefa Thomas, who has served as USM ambassador since 2017, was re-inducted to her position.
The university said USM Ambassadors are an elite student club under the President who represents the institution.
The annual ceremony is kept private on campus and the torches of the campus grounds were lit to signify knowledge and dignity. During the induction ceremony, students pledged to behave as model citizens. These students were hand chosen by the President, Marketing and Admissions Specialist and Division Heads, based on their motivation, academic performance and positive attitude.
Students were joined by family members and their closest friends. Marketing and Admissions Specialist Mitsha Shobhan Giterson said, “It is an extra special moment that we are celebrating this evening. This year USM is celebrating 30 years of educating the nation and these students are pledging to continue fighting side by side with USM to showcase their excellence.”
USM offers accredited degree programmes in Education, Business and Hospitality and other services such as English as Second Language, General Education Diploma (GED) preparation and college prep programme Pre-USM.
Also important for USM Ambassadors is to maintain a fruitful and uplifting student experience on- and off-campus. By creating these opportunities for students to polish their skills in concerning areas, they are also exposed to many networking opportunities and social activities that will help them grow.
“Some scholars have noted that by engaging in student clubs and activities, students are more motivated and tend to excel in their classes. Graduate universities are always looking for students who have been active in society within their college experience, as these students are also building their academics and resumé,” said Giterson.
USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona Báez said, “We aim to prepare students and further their academic preparation and professional training, shaping them with the skills and knowledge it takes to survive and excel in a globalized society. We may be small but we produce qualified students and informed citizens who have proven to be successful in their careers.”
Some of the ambassadorial duties include having sound knowledge of USM and its programme offerings and the history and culture of St. Maarten; and representing USM at major activities and public affairs. Last week some of these new ambassadors have already been active in assisting teachers during a two-day training at St. Dominic High School. They will continue working in the community this week with the Erasmus plus Bridging the Gap in the Caribbean project. USM congratulates the students and expresses its special thanks to the staff who were involved in making the induction ceremony a success.
