The University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) reaffirmed its commitment to expanding educational access and strengthening national development as President Dr. Colwick M. Wilson addressed the fourth graduation ceremony of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) on June 23, 2026. Coming just weeks after Guyana marked its 60th anniversary of Independence, the ceremony provided a fitting backdrop for a message centered on education, leadership, and nation-building.
The ceremony celebrated 3,876 graduates from programmes ranging from certificates to doctoral degrees. Among them were 53 students who completed programmes offered by USC through its partnership with GOAL, further strengthening the university’s contribution to Guyana’s growing pool of skilled professionals.
Since becoming a partner institution at GOAL’s launch in 2021, USC has helped expand access to accredited higher education for Guyanese learners through flexible online undergraduate and graduate programmes. To date, 241 students have graduated from USC programmes through the initiative—98 in 2024, 90 in 2025, and 53 in 2026.
Addressing graduates under the theme Academic Acceleration for National Development, Dr. Wilson described the ceremony as evidence of what is possible when educational opportunity is made accessible.
“Today, we are not simply gathered for a ceremony,” he said. “We are gathered to briefly examine and celebrate compelling evidence that GOAL matters for the national development of the peoples of this beautiful land.”
Recognizing the determination of graduates who balanced employment, family responsibilities, and personal challenges while pursuing their studies, Dr. Wilson reminded them that graduation represents a transition from academic pursuit to national contribution.
“Before today, the question was, ‘Can I finish?’ After today, the question becomes, ‘What will I now do with what I have received?'” he said.
Throughout his address, Dr. Wilson emphasized that sustainable national development depends on investing in people as much as infrastructure.
“A country is transformed by capacity,” he said, noting that roads, hospitals, digital systems, and institutions can only fulfil their purpose when supported by educated, ethical, and competent professionals.
Against the backdrop of Guyana’s rapid economic growth, he urged graduates to ensure that the country’s expanding prosperity is matched by strong values and capable leadership.
“Oil resources can build roads, but they cannot build character,” he observed. “Oil resources can accelerate development, but they cannot replace discipline, literacy, competence, and public trust.”
He called on the graduating class to become “educated builders” who use their knowledge to strengthen communities, improve institutions, and serve with integrity. He also challenged graduates to resist measuring success by visibility alone, reminding them that meaningful national progress is achieved through competence, service, and consistent excellence rather than public recognition.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Wilson encouraged graduates to remain lifelong learners, contribute wherever opportunities arise, and use their education to create opportunities for others through mentorship and service.
The ceremony underscored the growing impact of the partnership between USC and GOAL, which continues to make higher education accessible to learners across Guyana while equipping graduates to contribute to the country’s social and economic transformation. As Guyana commemorates 60 years of independence, the collaboration reflects a shared belief that investing in education remains one of the most effective ways to empower individuals, strengthen communities, and advance nations.
Closing his address, Dr. Wilson reminded the Class of 2026 that the true measure of their achievement would be found not only in the degrees they earned, but in the lives they would influence. “When Guyanese people are given a real opportunity,” he said, “they rise.”
