GRADUATES, their parents and staff at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona 2022 graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Social Sciences were awed by Dr Adam Stewart’s speech as he charged the graduates to find their superpower and not bet against their homeland or the Caribbean.

Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, and the Appliance Traders Group, which includes the Jamaica Observer, who was conferred with the Doctor of Laws (LLD) on Saturday, told graduates in their early 20s to try things, step out of their comfort zones, and ask questions.

“Work with fascinating companies that give you opportunities. When you start to get to the end of your 20s into the 30s, you need to form your mind and find your superpower. The Man Above gave each and every one of you a superpower. Some of you may not have studied in the field that is your superpower and that’s absolutely okay,” he said.

“But when you get up in the morning and you’re taking a shower and preparing for your day, be truthful with yourself. Find the thing inside you that makes you tick. Find the thing inside you that makes you want to get up every day, so that you can outperform anybody else in that lane. So, when you get to your 30s you need to start to specialise, you need to figure out exactly who it is that you want to be.”

He further encouraged the graduates to fervently go after their desires and define the path they wish to take.

“You have achieved the first step of your journey, the future and everything that we can become. In my life, I’ve been extremely privileged, particularly of the tourism side, to travel the world and promote the most beautiful part and region of the world that we call the Caribbean,” Stewart said.

“Everything that we can become is sitting right in front of my eyes today. I want each and every one of you to be the generation that never settles. I want you to be the generation that reaches higher than ever before. As we move in Jamaica 60, and around the Caribbean deepening our independence, it is absolutely imperative that the weight sits on your shoulder to define everything that we will become as we go forward,” he continued.

Stewart shared that his experiences are why he believes the Caribbean region is “God’s country”.

“Some of us got oil down in Guyana and Trinidad, some got natural minerals, some got agricultural lands that we can do farm-to-table and every form of fancy farming. Some got beautiful beaches, but most importantly, ladies and gentlemen, we have a culture.”

Stewart caused much laughter when he highlighted popular dances such as the Dirt Bounce, to paint the picture of an infectious and palpable Jamaican culture.

“If my friend Ding Dong was on the stage with me right now, I would watch all the orchestration. We are a fascinating people. We are a people rich in culture. The way we walk, the way we talk, the respect that we demand, the pride that we have. Ladies and gentlemen, do not settle. Do not bet against this country and this region,” Stewart said.

Added Stewart: “What we are looking for is the entrepreneur. What we are looking for is that individual who shows up every single day giving 110 per cent. What we are looking for in this region is the future and everything that we can become. We have to look at life through a future lens. Do not get caught up in the sussy-sussy. In life, there are main events and there are sideshows. Make sure you, after doing everything you have done on this educational journey, focus on the main event. The main event needs to be what it is that makes you tick and focus and drive every day.”