NCU honours 2,000 students for academic excellence

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Northern Caribbean University (NCU) recognised 2,080 students for academic achievement across the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years at a combined Honours Convocation on the Mandeville Main Campus last Thursday, with five students earning grade point averages of 4.0.

The ceremony combined two years of recognition after Hurricane Melissa prevented the previous year’s event. For 2024–2025 academic year, 983 students were honoured, while 1,097 received recognition for 2025–2026. Across both academic years, 40 students earned summa cum laude honours, 225 received magna cum laude distinctions, 540 graduated cum laude, and 1,275 were recognised in the honours category.

Among the outstanding achievers were Niakay Thompson, Raheem Swaby, and Samantha Auld who each recorded a grade point average of 3.97 for 2024–2025. The Foster triplets, Malika, Mahari and Mikaili, along with Natasha Downer and Thravena Chin, were among the students who achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs for 2025–2026. Swaby was also recognised for a second consecutive year after maintaining a 3.97 GPA.

Speaking at the ceremony, NCU President Balvin Braham praised the students’ determination and acknowledged the sacrifices of parents and donors, saying,

“Your sacrifice and faithfulness are as deserving of honour as any diploma that is distributed today.” He encouraged the awardees to view their accomplishments as the beginning of greater achievements, assuring them that “the best is yet to come.”

Keynote speaker, Attorney General Derrick McKoy urged the students to use their education and values to make a positive difference in society. He challenged them to consider how they would shape the future through integrity, service, innovation and leadership, emphasising that academic achievement should extend beyond personal success to benefit students’ communities.

Speaking after receiving recognition for his academic performance, Swaby described the honour as “validation that my efforts aren't in vain.” He said one of his biggest challenges in maintaining a high GPA was learning to accept setbacks, prepare ahead of time and tackle difficult tasks first.

Meanwhile, Chin, who achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, attributed her success to personal effort and faith, saying, “I believe that my little effort combined with divine power contributed to my success.” She encouraged other students aspiring to achieve a 4.0 GPA to pray before each study session, remain disciplined and find motivation beyond grades alone.