Excellence encouraged as QC celebrates Founder’s Week

Students, staff and some alumni of Queen’s College gathered yesterday in the school’s hall for a joint assembly in celebration of the school’s 85th anniversary. Delivering the feature address was past student, Kay McConney, who added a personal focus on the week’s theme, “Just Excellence: Visions of Developmemt”.

 

“When we think of excellence oftentimes we think of our career achievements; we think of academic accomplishments but rarely do we think of visions of excellence being about character; about the person we chose to be, not just making a difference in our own life but making a difference to the people around us,” stated McConney.

 

Speaking of her story, McConney spoke of how at an early age she was labelled as a dreamer – who dreamed of leaving Barbados and travelling the world, much to the discouragement of people around her. Nevertheless, being set in her mind, she decided that she was going to defy what they had to say, and so, the labels started. McConney stated that as she progressed into Secondary school, she was labelled as being hyper, and aggressive, among other things.

 

Upon meeting someone at Queen’s College who would completely change her scope, McConney credited a teacher by the name of Beverly Griffith, who reframed her labels and channelled her energy in sports, where she later received a scholarship to a university overseas.

As a result of this, McConney boasts of graduating with Honours and being featured at the front of her university’s magazine. Since then, she went on to sit at the tables of the United Nations and World Trade Organisation to speak on the behalf of 30 small vulnerable economies of the world.

 

Against the backdrop of these accomplishments, McConney asserted, “A Label only has as much meaning to you as you give it, it is what you associate with that label that matters. There are three types of persons you must never listen to in your life – you must never listen to 

someone who doesn’t know you but chooses to define you; you must never listen to someone who does not believe in you and you must not listen to anyone who chooses not to see the good in you.”