Photo: Onyeka Nevins when he was president of the 2018-2019 United Student Movement regime. He graduated from the School of Religion and Theology (SRT) in 2020 and now serves as an intern pastor in the North Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Photo Credit: Contributed

By: Katrich Walker

The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Mass Inauguration for the 2021-2022 academic year was presented with a challenge to be innovative in collaboration with each other through leadership.

This task was posed to leaders of the school by guest speaker and former president of the 2018-2019 United Student Movement (USM) regime, Onyeka Nevins, as he spoke during the virtual ceremony held on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

The theme for the special service “Onward, Forward, Moving Together Through Virtual Connections” was evidence that NCU is done grieving. 

In his presentation, Nevins compared the population’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic with the stages of grief as the school carries on its second virtual academic year.

“COVID would have shifted your situation. You have found yourself in new dynamics but your theme is telling me that something about you has changed, and you have moved either to the acceptance level because you’re onward, forward and you’re moving on through virtual connections,” he said.

The former president of USM also took the opportunity to address the leaders as he challenged them to be intentional about their plans for their respective positions and responsibilities. 

“I’m challenging each of you to be intentional about this semester. Be intentional about the things you plan for your clubs, and be intentional about the things you plan for your members because when you are intentional about going somewhere you will get to that place,” he said. 

The speech was then followed by the clubs and societies’ leaders taking their oath of office.

This special event was held in the school’s gymnatorium where the executive members were present, while it was streamed live on YouTube and connected via zoom where others could participate.