When the University of the Virgin Islands was founded in 1963, its leadership had a “vision” of a Class of 2023 that was talented, diverse and ready to learn in “paradise,” and with the improvements on campus this year, President David Hall said Thursday that this year’s freshman class will get the best of that vision, from a fully functioning innovation center to an expanded student life program.
During a formal Convocation ceremony on St. Thomas, Hall said UVI is at a “special time of expansion,” with 49 bachelors, 12 associates, 15 minors and 19 certificate programs, among others, and facilities like the Innovation Center that he encouraged new students to take advantage of.
“We offer you all of these choices because we want you to choose the right path for yourself,” he said. “This is a time of exploration, as well as a time to make critical decisions.” Hall added that feedback provided from students last year on how to make campus life more “inviting and exciting” are also being rolled out this year, from new activities to the first-ever pub, which he added is meant to give students the chance to have fun with the supervision of the faculty.
Reflecting on barriers to student success, Hall also spoke about the power of fear in hampering full potential. Using himself as an example, Hall said he made the decision recently to retire after 15 years at the helm of the university, but now as the time draws closer, he’s begun to question whether he will find “a sense of fulfillment” in his next chapter.
The transition to college is much the same, he added, as routines change, new friends are made and major life decisions loom.
“Your deepest fear never goes away. Instead, it shows its head in our lives, especially in moments of change,” Hall said. “And though we can’t eradicate it, we can conquer it with the spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. So, in the next four years, along with your degree, make sure to obtain the antidote to your deepest fear so you can make this world a better place.”
