标签： Antigua and Barbuda

One of Antigua and Barbuda’s most decorated competitive cyclists has crossed a critical new finish line far removed from the race track, graduating from the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) just months after surviving a catastrophic cycling accident that nearly cost him his life. The remarkable achievement has drawn warm public and official congratulations, with Education Minister Daryll S. Matthew leading tributes to Tahjé Browne’s extraordinary strength of character.

In a personal note marking the graduation milestone, Minister Matthew highlighted how divine intervention and Browne’s unyielding grit combined to pull the elite athlete back from the brink of tragedy to reach this academic achievement. “Despite the near tragedy you experienced, God’s grace has brought you safely to this milestone,” Matthew wrote. “Your perseverance, resilience, and determination have carried you across yet another finish line.”

The 2023 accident sidelined Browne from competitive cycling for months as he underwent intensive rehabilitation to recover from life-threatening injuries. For the local sporting community and supporters across the country, his successful graduation marks one more major step forward in his long journey back to full health and normal life. Minister Matthew extended his hopes that this academic win will open the door to even more impressive accomplishments in the years ahead, both on and off the cycling circuit. He closed his message by wishing Browne continued good health, abundant blessings, and ongoing success in all of his future endeavors.

On July 2, Antigua and Barbuda’s higher education sector entered a new era, as the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) hosted its very first commencement ceremony at the SJPC House of Restoration to honor over 200 trailblazing graduates who make up the institution’s historic founding class. The celebratory event drew a diverse crowd of attendees, including graduates, their families, academic faculty and staff, senior government officials, key industry stakeholders, and invited guests, all gathering to mark the start of a transformative new chapter for public tertiary education across the dual-island nation.

The 2026 graduating cohort left the institution with a wide range of credentials, spanning associate degrees, professional diplomas, and specialized certificates. Graduates completed programs across 11 diverse academic and professional fields: business administration, culinary arts, K-12 and higher education, engineering disciplines, health care services, hospitality management, information technology, liberal arts, creative industries, and core scientific fields.

In his official address to the graduating class, Education Minister Daryll S. Matthew framed the landmark ceremony as the fulfillment of a years-long, ambitious vision to expand accessible, high-quality public tertiary education in Antigua and Barbuda. He extended warm congratulations to the founding cohort on their historic achievement, urged graduates to leverage their newly gained skills and knowledge to drive forward national development, and highlighted the growing School of Agriculture as a standout example of ABCAS’ commitment to expanding workforce readiness and addressing critical labor gaps across the country.

The full ceremony featured a packed schedule of symbolic and celebratory moments. ABCAS President Dr. Ezra Jonah Greene delivered opening remarks, while 2026 Rhodes Scholar Resa Nelson delivered the featured commencement address. Valedictorian Fiona Benjamin, an Associate of Arts graduate in Secondary Education TVET from ABCAS’ Dr. Alister Francis Campus, delivered the traditional valedictory address, before the entire class took part in the iconic symbolic turning of tassels to mark their official graduation. The institution also formally recognized Salutatorian Micaiah Graham, an Associate of Science graduate in mathematics and natural sciences from the Dr. Alister Francis Campus, for his exceptional academic performance.

Two particularly moving moments resonated with all in attendance. The first was the recognition of Tahjé Browne, a national competitive cyclist and graduating student, whose well-documented perseverance and resilience through personal and academic challenges left a lasting impression on the crowd. The second was a heartfelt tribute to Brianna Clarke, a promising culinary arts student who passed away before completing her degree. ABCAS reserved an empty honorary seat for Clarke during the ceremony and presented her posthumous graduation credential to her family, cementing her place forever in the college’s historic founding class.

As the ceremony drew to a close, the Class of 2026 departed with a unique distinction that no future graduating cohort will ever hold: the honor of being ABCAS’ very first graduating class. Their successful completion of studies does not only mark a major personal milestone for each graduate, but also lays the foundation for a lasting legacy for both ABCAS and the future of tertiary education in Antigua and Barbuda.

On a recent Friday, a cohort of young participants in the Ministry of Agriculture’s Summer Internship Programme traded textbooks for field work, immersing themselves in a full day of hands-on skill-building at the Greencastle Agricultural Station. Designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world agricultural practice, the training session covered every core dimension of modern farming and station operations, from crop cultivation and nursery management to administrative workflow.

To ensure every intern gained exposure to diverse agricultural specializations, organizers structured the day around a rotating station model. One of the first stops for many groups was the station’s nursery, where staff walked participants through the core techniques of plant propagation. Interns learned how ornamental plants, fruit trees, and young seedlings are produced through multiple methods, including traditional seed growing, stem cutting, and grafting. Agriculture Assistant Grantley and Supervisor Victor led a practical exercise on soil preparation, guiding interns through the process of sifting nutrient-ready soil and filling nursery pots to prepare for new planting. Across the nursery, a second group worked alongside trainee Zulema to transplant seedless watermelon seedlings, picking up best practices for seedling care and healthy propagation along the way.

Outside the nursery, field-based training shifted focus to perennial tree crop management, with a deep dive into coconut cultivation. Agriculture Assistant Rennice led interactive lessons on identifying common coconut tree diseases and fungal infections, teaching interns how to properly prune infected branches to stop the spread of pathogens and outline the specific nutritional needs that support healthy coconut growth. After the coconut training, participants toured the station’s experimental groves of grafted mango and starfruit trees, observing how grafting techniques improve fruit yield and disease resistance in these commercial crops.

The learning experience was not limited to cultivation skills. Organizers prioritized teaching foundational operational habits that keep agricultural stations running smoothly, including a hands-on session where interns organized and deep-cleaned the facility’s tool house. This exercise emphasized the critical roles of regular equipment maintenance and consistent workplace safety protocols in preventing accidents and extending the lifespan of farming tools.

Complementing the outdoor fieldwork, the programme also included a classroom component focused on the administrative backbone of agricultural operations. Administrative Office Trainee Shanice walked interns through standard record-keeping procedures required to run a public agricultural station, covering everything from employee timesheets and entry registers to departure logs and basic salary calculation. The session highlighted that successful agricultural operations rely just as much on organized administrative work as they do on skilled field cultivation.

The day wrapped up with a friendly competitive activity, where each intern team delivered a short presentation summarizing their key takeaways from the training. Team Grow took first place in the presentation competition, with Dynamic 7 claiming second place, Seven Sparks securing third, and Agriculture on the Go (AOTG) finishing fourth.

As a core module of the Ministry of Agriculture’s broader Summer Internship Programme, the Greencastle Station visit serves a larger strategic goal: to equip young people with tangible, job-ready agricultural experience and cultivate interest in long-term careers in the agriculture sector. By exposing emerging professionals to every layer of agricultural operations, the programme works to build a skilled new workforce for the country’s farming industry.

The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is moving forward with two transformative education infrastructure initiatives, both designed to broaden access to high-quality learning opportunities and reinforce the country’s growing higher education ecosystem, government officials confirmed this week.

During the most recent sitting of the country’s Cabinet, Education Minister Daryll Matthew presented a progress update on the construction of the new Five Islands Primary School, noting that the development is currently tracking according to its original timeline. Minister Matthew added that a detailed public briefing outlining completed work, next phases, and any adjustments to the project will be released to the community next week.

Cabinet members also received a status report on the planned expansion of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus, a key higher education facility serving local and regional students. The project’s competitive bidding and procurement phase has generated significant industry attention: as of the latest update, roughly 18 private construction and development firms have formally registered their interest in competing for the contract, ahead of the August 14 bid submission deadline.

Following the presentations, Cabinet collectively expressed strong confidence in both projects, emphasizing that the developments will deliver lasting, multi-generational benefits to Antigua and Barbuda, while advancing the country’s overarching national development strategic objectives focused on human capital growth and public service improvement.