Grads told: Strive to be the best you can be

“You are only as good as your last performance. As young people, now is the time to strive and every second that you have, you must strive to be the best you can be,” Debra Sardinah-Metivier, executive chef of the Hilton Trinidad, told the graduands of the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI Tobago Campus) during her feature address at the ceremony last Thursday.

As she sought to inspire in them that the world was their playing field, and that the accreditation they now held was the key to advance in the industry, Sardinah-Metivier informed the graduands that there will be many trying times, but with their focus on God “all things are possible.” She lamented the fact that “too many times this generation wants it now and without the hard work and sacrifice” and advised the graduands that an endless reward awaited them should they stay on the correct path. “Your name and honour are things that money can’t buy, and while you may want to experience, and you should experience as much as possible, there is only one right way,” Sardina-Metivier admonished.

Although only 11 students participated in the graduation ceremony on Thursday, 17 of them received Certificates and Associate Degrees in Culinary Management, Tourism Management, Hotel Operations and Module Programmes. Three of them have already been accepted to the University of the West Indies to continue their studies. Chrise Cordner, who received an Associates Degree in Culinary Management, was the Valedictorian.