MONTEGO BAY, St James – THERE were glowing tributes for well-loved, outgoing director of the Western Jamaica Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Luz Longsworth, during a glitzy farewell function held in her honour at Sandals Cay, Royal Caribbean, in Montego Bay on Tuesday night.

Dr Longsworth, who assumed duties as director of the Western Jamaica Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on August 1, 2012, is leaving for Barbados where she will take over the helm of the UWI Open Campus there.

Among those who paid tribute to Dr Longsworth, was Aubrey Stewart, the student who introduced American President Barack Obama at the youth forum held at UWI Mona campus last week.

Stewart, who was encouraged to attend the UWI Western Jamaica Campus by Dr Longsworth two years ago, thanked her for the inspirational role she played in his life.

“I must say I am more nervous now than when I met the President. We met in 2013 you inspired me. From then you have been a mentor to me. I must say thank you for everything you have given to me and for what you have given to the university,” said Stewart, who is a former Montego Bay junior mayor. During his toast, Dr Longsworth’s successor, Patrick Prendergast described her as a visionary person.

“She has proven to be ‘a director extraordinaire’. We are sending to Barbados a woman of passion, a woman of insight, a woman who cares,” Prendergast stated. In his comments chief executive officer (CEO) of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart, who noted that Dr Longsworth will be missed, also expressed that she brought the best out of the students and everyone she came in contact with.

“I personally felt the impact that she has had here in Montego Bay. It became very clear to me how much her affection is to Montego Bay,” the Sandals CEO stressed.

“She is somebody I have grown to love, admire and respect. She is a beautiful soul.”

The outgoing campus director, who was also a director of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), was hailed by the MBCCI president, Nathan Robb, for her sterling contribution to the growth of communities in western Jamaica. “She played an integral part of this society here and helped it to grow. Dr Longsworth, you are going to be missed and as far as we know you were seconded, so we expect you to come back,” Robb declared.

And in her response, an emotional Dr Longsworth who thanked everyone for embracing her during her stint in western Jamaica, announced that while she is heading to Barbados for work, plans are underway to make the “Friendly City”, her permanent home.

“I do want to say that Montego Bay is now my home. I am making arrangements to make it my permanent home. I am leaving to work in Barbados. I know that my ship will sail smoothly but if it doesn’t, I shall come back into this harbour of Montego Bay,” a teary-eyed Dr Longsworth expressed.

“When I was coming to Montego Bay, everyone in Kingston would say Montego Bay is a hard place to settle and is so cliquish, but I never found that. I have found that Montego Bay and St James are all about community and that many made the work that I had to do so easy. I was so happy to see that I was in a community that cared about a people and that the University could help.”