CFBC graduates urged to embrace AI, lifelong learning at 37th Commencement

Graduates of the 37th Commencement Ceremony of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College  (CFBC) in St. Kitts were urged to embrace artificial intelligence, innovation, and lifelong learning as essential tools for professional success in a rapidly evolving global economy.

The ceremony was guided by the theme, “Leveraging AI and Innovation for a Professional Competitive Advantage.”

Delivering the keynote address was Scarlett Howery, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at DeVry University.

“None of us stand here alone,” Howery told the Class of 2025. “We’re all part of what I call a living chain — a circle of care, labor, sacrifice, and opportunity that stretches across generations and, yes, across oceans as well.”

Howery, who described herself as a first-generation college graduate with roots in the U.S. state of Alabama, drew parallels between DeVry University and CFBC, noting that both institutions were founded on expanding access to education and aligning learning with workforce needs.

“Both institutions were built on the idea that talent is everywhere and that opportunity should not be limited to where you were born, how much your parents earned, or whether you are the first in your family to go to college,” she said.

She reminded graduates that commencement marks the beginning, not the end, of their academic journey.

“The certificate, degree, or diploma you receive tonight is not the finish line,” Howery said. “It’s the first passport into a world where you need to keep stamping new visas of learning — AI, cyber, leadership tools we haven’t even named yet.”

Pointing to the accelerating pace of technological change, she noted that artificial intelligence, automation, data analytics, and cybersecurity are transforming industries from healthcare and tourism to finance, agriculture, and public service.

“Once upon a time, you could frame your diploma, put it on the wall, let it collect dust, and you were good to go,” she said. “But today, if your diploma is collecting dust, your skills might be collecting dust right along with it. This generation does not have that luxury.”

Howery offered three key invitations to the graduating class: remember the sacrifices of those who came before them, commit to lifelong learning, and become conscious shapers of the systems and workplaces they enter.

“Commit now that you’ll continue to upskill, earn new credentials, attend workshops, read, ask questions, and stay curious,” she urged. “The habit of learning will be your competitive advantage.”

Addressing first-generation graduates directly, she acknowledged the pressures many may feel.

“You honor your family not by being perfect, but by being faithful — faithful to the opportunities you’ve been given and to those coming after you,” she said. “Your story is your asset. You know how to adapt. You know what it means to carry more than your share. Those are exactly the strengths this moment in history needs.”

Established in 1988 as the College of Further Education, CFBC was created to consolidate and expand tertiary education opportunities in the Federation through the amalgamation of the School of Nursing, the Teachers’ College, the Technical College, and the Sixth Form programme. Over nearly four decades, the institution has become a cornerstone of academic, technical, and vocational training in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“You’re not just chasing a career,” Howery told the class in closing. “You’re strengthening a circle of care and opportunity that will outlive you. May you be bold enough to keep learning, brave enough to speak up for others, and wise enough to see that your success and your neighbor’s success are forever linked,” she said.